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KDORSED  BY  THE  EMPEROR 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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CHINA'S    ONLY    HOPE 


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VICEROY   OF    HL'PEH    AND    HUNAN 


CHINA'S   ONLY   HOPE 

AN    APPEAL 

By  Her  Greatest   Viceroy, 
x CHANG    CHIH-TUNG, 

with  the   Sanction   of  the 
Present  Emperor,  Kwang  Sii 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  CHINESE  EDITION  BY 

SAMUEL   I.  WOODBRIDGE 

INTRODUCTION    BY 

GRIFFITH   JOHN,    D.D. 


"If  a  man  will  not  understand  in  what  misfortune 
consists,  disgrace  is  sure  to  follow  :  But  if  he  will  only 
face  the  difficulty — happiness  will  ensue." — The  Viuroy. 


New  York       Chicago       Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 
1900 


Copyright,  1900 

by 

FLEMING   H.   REVELL   COMPANY 


DS 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Imperial  Rescript  of  His  Majesty,  Kwang  Si)     .  3 

Translator's  Note 5 

Introduction 9 

Preface 19 

PART  I.— MORAL 

CHAPTER  I 
United  Hearts 31 

CHAPTER   II 
The  Inculcation  of  Loyalty 37 

CHAPTER  III 

The  Three  Moral  Obligations         .        .        .        .43 

CHAPTER   IV 
The  Recognition  of  Class 49 

CHAPTER  V 
Honor  Due  the  Classics -54 

CHAPTER  VI 
Centralization  of  Power 55 

CHAPTER  VII 

The  Proper  Sequence  of  Things     .        .        .        .     63 

CHAPTER  VIII 
Attending  to  What  is  Vital 68 

CHAPTER  IX 
Cast  Out  the  Poison 72 

G'i  CT 


2  Contents 

PART  II.— PRACTICAL 
CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

Beneficial  Knowledge 81 

CHAPTER   II 
Travel 91 

CHAPTER  III 
The  Establishment  of  Schools      ....      97 

CHAPTER   IV 
The  Study  of  Regulations 106 

CHAPTER  V 

The  Extensive  Translation  of  Books  .        .110 

CHAPTER  VI 
Newspaper  Reading 116 

CHAPTER  VII 
Reform  of  Methods 120 

CHAPTER  VIII 
Railways 125 

CHAPTER  IX 
Comparative  Study 128 

CHAPTER  X 
Maintaining  the  Army 139 

CHAPTER   XI 
Religious  Toleration 144 

APPENDIX 
The  Position  of  Chang  Chih-Tung        .        .        .149 


IMPERIAL   RESCRIPT   OF 
HIS  MAJESTY,   KWANG   SU 

"  The  Expositor  of  the  Hanlin  Academy, 
Hwang  Shao  Ki,  has  to-day,  on  behalf  of  Chang 
Chih-tung,  presented  us  with  his  work  called  the 
'  Chuen  Hioh  Pien.'  We  have  carefully  in- 
spected the  volume,  and  find  that  it  embodies  a 
fair  and  candid  statement  of  facts.  A  diligent 
perusal  of  its  contents  will  broaden  the  mental 
scope  and  open  up  methods  of  far-reaching  use- 
fulness. 

"  We  hereby  command  that  the  forty  volumes 
which  have  been  sent,  be  handed  to  the  Grand 
Council  of  State,  which  shall  distribute  a  copy 
each  to  the  Viceroys,  Governors,  and  Literary 
Examiners  of  China  in  order  that  they  may  be 
extensively  published  and  widely  circulated  in 
the  Provinces. 

"  And  these  High  Officials  are  enjoined  to  use 
their  sincere  endeavors  to  encourage  and  exhort 
the  people  to  hold  in  reverence  the  Confucian  Re-J' 
ligion  and  suppress  all  baseless  rumors.    Respect 

this." 

3 


TRANSLATOR'S   NOTE 

This  book  of  Chang  Chih-tung,  which  we 
have  translated  into  English  from  the  original 
Chinese  text,  was  written  soon  after  China  had 
been  beaten  to  her  knees  by  the  doughty  little 
warriors  of  the  Sunrise  Kingdom.  It  represents 
the  result,  in  part,  of  the  Chino-Japanese  war, 
and  the  persistent  pressure  of  other  issues  by 
European  nations.  Had  the  Viceroy  not  been  so 
powerful  in  men  and  arms,  he  would  have  lost 
his  head  for  the  bold  advocacy  of  Reform  exhib- 
ited in  this  volume.  But  he  carefully  measured 
his  ground  before  publishing  it.  He  was  con- 
vinced that  a  change  in  Chinese  affairs  was  des- 
perately necessary,  and  at  the  same  time  realized 
that  the  Chinese  officials  and  people  clung  witfr 
unyielding  tenacity  to  their  ancient  ideas  and  in-* 
stitutions. 

To  steer  successfully  a  middle  course  between 
Scylla  and   Charybdis   required  an   unwavering 
courage  and  a  steady  hand.     The  Viceroy  pos- 
5 


6  Translator's  Note 

sesses  both.  Whilst  preparing  his  book  he  was 
placed  in  the  most  perilous  position.  He  at- 
tacks nothing  ancient  except  abuses,  but  re- 
morselessly scales  off  the  excrescences  that  have 
for  years  been  growing  and  multiplying  on  the 
body  politic  of  China. 

His  book  met  with  such  an  enthusiastic  and 
eager  reception  by  the  Chinese,  that  we  can  safely 
estimate  the  number  of  copies  distributed  at  a 
/million.  The  issues  are  so  live,  the  interest  so 
intense  and  exciting,  and  so  new  and  fresh 
withal,  that  the  book  is  devoured  with  the  great- 
est avidity  by  the  Chinese  scholars  long  accus- 
tomed to  the  dry  bones  of  the  Ancient  Kings  and 
the  moribund  and  somniferous  platitudes  of  Con- 
fucius. 

To  its  influence  are  in  great  measure  due  the 
bloody  coup  d'etat  of  the  Empress  Dowager,  the 
overthrow  of  the  young  Emperor,  the  decapitation 
of  the  patriotic  members  of  the  Reform  Party, 
and,  indirectly,  the  awful  scenes  that  were  en- 
acted in  China  during  the  last  summer  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  The  "  clear  out  the  foreigner  " 
policy  of  Prince  Tuan,  which  appears  to  have  been 
adopted  by  China,  represents  a  resilience  from  the 
ideas  advocated  in  the  Viceroy's  book.  We  trans- 
lated the  Chinese  in  the  midst  of  our  missionary 


Translator's  Note  7 

labors  in  China  during  the  dreadful  times  of  the 
coup  d'etat.  As  we  pen  these  lines,  new  chapters 
are  being  rapidly  and  tragically  added  to  the  his- 
tory of  China,  now  at  the  mercy  of  the  Great 
Powers.  The  courageous  Viceroy  seems  destined 
to  play  an  important  part  in  shaping  the  course 
of  the  New  China.    May  we  not  hope  that  he  will  \} 

have  sufficient  encouragement  and  support  from  V" 

our  own  country  to  enable  him  and  his  colleagues-  .-' 
to  resist  the  aggression  of  upstart  nations  who^r  V 
impelled  by  a  brutal  self-interest,  and  regardless 
of  the  common  rights  of  man,  are  compassing 
the  overthrow  of  that  magnificent  old  Empire  of 
which  Chang  Chih-tung  is  the  chief  pillar  and 
support  ? 

The  Chinese  text  of  this  book  is  written  in  fault- 
less literary  style,  and  displays  much  prolonged 
and  careful  thought,  both  as  to  matter  and  diction. 
It  has  been  translated  into  French  by  the  Jesuits 
in  China.  The  labor  of  rendering  it  into  English 
was  similar  in  some  respects  to  what  the  transla- 
tion of  one  of  Lord  Macaulay's  Essays  into  Chi- 
nese would  be. 

We  have  omitted  much  that  would  be  unin- 
teresting to  the  general  reader,  especially  proof 
texts  et  id  omne  genus,  and  wrought  with  a 
free  hand,  believing  that  a  strict  adherence  to 


8  Translator's  Note 

mere  words  is  slavish,  and  that  the  spirit  and 
genius  of  translation  consist  in  conveying  the 
thought  of  one  language  into  another  by  the  short- 
est and  quickest  route. 

Samuel  I.  Woodbridge. 

"  WOODLAWN," 
Columbia,  South  Carolina, 
September  8,  1900. 


INTRODUCTION 

Chang  Chih-tung,  the  Viceroy  of  Hupeh  and  ■ 
Hunan,  occupies  a  unique  place  among  the  officials 
of  China  at  this  time.  He  is  a  man  of  profound 
scholarship,  wide  information,  great  mental  en- 
ergy, and  restless  activity.  He  is  endowed  with  a 
strong  will  and  no  little  courage  and  daring.  As 
a  public  officer  he  is  distinguished  for  his  loyalty, 
his  purity,  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the  good  of 
the  people  under  his  jurisdiction  and  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  Empire  at  large.  In  one  respect  he  is 
looked  upon  as  a  phenomenon  among  the  officials 
of  his  day.  The  love  of  money  does  not  seem  to  *' 
be  in  him.  He  might  have  been  one  of  the  rich- 
est men  in  the  Empire,  for  his  opportunities  of 
accumulating  wealth  have  been  many  and  pecul- 
iarly favorable.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  is  known 
to  be  a  comparatively  poor  man  for  an  official  of 
his  rank  and  standing.  All  the  wealth  that  flows 
into  his  yamen  is  spent  on  public  works  and  pub- 
lic charity.  His  Excellency  may  have  his  weak- 
nesses and  eccentricities,  and  no  doubt  he  has,  but 
9 


io  Introduction 

making  all  due  allowances  for  these,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  he  is  to-day  one  of  China's  greatest 
men.  A  truer  patriot  or  an  abler  statesman  than 
the  Viceroy  of  Liang  Hu,  China  does  not  possess. 

Any  book  written  by  Chang  Chih-tung  could  not 
fail  to  command  attention  among  the  Chinese 
themselves.  They  are  proud  of  the  man  and 
charmed  with  his  literary  style.  His  is  a  master 
hand  which  few  of  the  scholars  of  the  land  can 
equal  and  none  excel.  The  interest  of  this  book, 
however,  does  not  centre  in  its  literary  style, 
though  in  that  respect  it  leaves  nothing  to  be  de- 
sired, but  in  the  momentous  importance  of  its 
theme  and  the  great  ability  displayed  by  the  au- 
thor in  the  handling  of  it.  This  is  the  reason  the 
book  has  been  so  widely  read  and  discussed  by 
both  natives  and  foreigners  since  its  publication 
in  the  spring  of  last  year.  The  author's  aim  in 
writing  the  book  is  stated  by  himself  in  the  pref- 
ace. China  is  in  danger  of  perishing.  That  is 
the  terrible  fact  which  weighs  so  heavily  on  the 
Viceroy's  mind.  How  can  China  be  saved? 
That  is  the  momentous  question  to  which  he 
addresses  himself  in  this  work. 

Throughout  the  book  the  author  shows  a  re- 
markable knowledge  of  the  outer  world  and  its 
affairs.    His  knowledge  is  by  no  means  perfect, 


Introduction  1 1 

and  he  often  blunders  in  his  statements.  But  no 
one  can  read  the  volume  without  being  struck  with 
the  extent  of  his  information  on  most  of  the  sub- 
jects with  which  he  deals.  He  will  be  struck  also 
with  the  evident  desire  of  the  author  to  be  fair 
in  his  treatment  of  the  foreigner  and  all  matters 
connected  with  him.  He  does  not  always  succeed, 
it  must  be  admitted.  This,  however,  is  to  be  as- 
cribed not  to  the  want  of  desire  to  be  fair  but  to 
defective  knowledge  and  pardonable  prejudice  in 
favor  of  his  own  country  and  people.  Chang 
Chih-tung  is  a  Chinese  to  the  backbone.  To  him 
there  is  no  country  like  China,  no  people  like  the 
Chinese,  and  no  religion  to  be  compared  with  the 
Confucian.  "  Examine,"  says  he,  "  the  history 
of  China  for  2,000  years  back  and  then  compare 
it  with  the  Western  history  of  fifty  years !  Does 
the  government  of  these  foreign  countries  present 
such  a  record  of  generosity,  benevolence,  loyalty, 
and  honesty  as  ours?  Although  China  is  not  so 
wealthy  and  powerful  as  the  West,  her  people  of 
whatever  condition,  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  all 
enjoy  a  perfect  freedom  and  a  happy  life.  Not  so 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Western  lands.  Their  gov- 
ernments may  be  strong,  but  the  lower  classes  of  \ 
the  people  are  miserable,  unhappy,  and  maliciously 
wronged.     These  governments  certainly  cannot 


1 2  Introduction 

be  compared  with  our  China."  That  is  pretty 
strong,  and  the  book  has  more  passages  quite  as 
strong.  But  they  are  mere  sallies  and  need  not 
be  taken  seriously.  Taking  the  book  as  a  whole, 
it  is  impossible  not  to  be  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  the  author  is  trying  to  be  fair  to  the  outside 
countries  and  peoples.  No  thoughtful  Chinese  can 
possibly  read  it  without  forming  a  more  exalted 
opinion  of  both  than  that  which  generally  prevails 
among  his  countrymen. 

But  the  author  does  not  spare  China  in  his  de- 
nunciations. Some  of  the  heaviest  lashes  found 
in  the  book  are  those  laid  on  the  backs  of  his  own 
people  and  their  rulers.  Says  the  Viceroy :  "  Of 
all  countries,  China  alone  has  for  these  fifty  years 
proved  herself  almost  irreclaimably  stupid  and  not 
awake.  Many  of  the  officials  and  people  are  proud 
and  indolent.  Among  our  officials  there  is  not  one 
man  of  discernment;  we  have  no  real  scholars 
and  no  skilful  artisans.  We  are  not  represented 
abroad,  and  at  home  have  no  schools.  So  our  in- 
competencies are  not  supplied.  With  nothing  to 
stimulate  the  mind,  harden  the  nature,  or  supply 
the  deficiencies,  there  seems  nothing  left  for  China 
but  to  perish  miserably  in  the  slough  of  despond 
and  despair."  Again,  "  Old  custom  is  a  bugaboo, 
a  password  to  lying  and  deceit."    That  is  pretty 


Introduction  13 

plain  and  honest,  and  there  are  not  many  men  in 
China  who  dare  speak  out  after  that  fashion.  But 
the  book  abounds  in  such  passages,  and  they  show 
clearly  that  the  Viceroy  is  thoroughly  alive  to  the 
state  of  things  at  home  and  that  China  is,  in  the 
eyes  of  this  great  statesman,  morally  rotten  as 
well  as  materially  helpless. 

The  twenty  chapters  into  which  the  work 
is  divided  are  of  varying  interest.  Some  have 
peculiar  interest  to  the  Chinese  reader,  and  some 
to  the  foreign  reader.  There  are  two  or  three 
which  ought  to  command  the  special  attention  of 
every  well-wisher  of  China.  In  reading  Chapter 
III.  we  are  interested  to  find  that  on  examination 
of  Western  governments  and  ways,  the  Viceroy 
has  discovered  that  the  people  of  the  West  do 
maintain  the  doctrine  of  the  relation  of  subject  to 
sovereign ;  that  they  hold  in  common  with  the 
Chinese  the  relation  of  father  to  son;  that  they 
possess  the  relation  of  husband  and  wife ;  and  that 
they  have  not  abolished  entirely  the  idea  of  eti- 
quette. It  is  refreshing  to  see  the  Mosaic  Deca- 
logue quoted  by  His  Excellency  in  order  to  con- 
vince his  countrymen  that  foreigners  do  really 
honor  their  parents,  though  they  do  not  worship 
their  manes  after  the  Chinese  fashion. 

In  Chapter  VI.  the  Viceroy  gives  his  views  on 


14  Introduction 

Republics,  Parliament,  etc.  His  Excellency  will 
have  none  of  them. 

Chapter  IX.  is  one  of  th^  most  interesting  in  the 
book.  The  vice  of  opium-smoking  is  denounced 
in  the  strongest  terms ;  but  the  Viceroy  has  no 
faith  in  government  prohibition  as  a  means  of  sup- 
pressing the  use  of  the  drug.  That,  he  tells  us,, 
has  been  tried  and  found  wanting.  Whilst  there 
is  much  good  sense  in  what  is  said  in  this  chapter 
about  the  habit  being  generated  by  sloth  and  the 
want  of  employment,  one  cannot  but  feel  that  the 
treatment  of  the  whole  subject  is  superficial,  and 
that  the  remedy  recommended  is  poor  and  alto- 
gether inadequate. 

The  suggestions  of  the  Viceroy  about  convert- 
ing the  temples  into  schools,  and  other  changes 
along  this  line,  are  very  remarkable  both  in  char- 
acter and  aim.  He  shows  himself  to  be  not  only 
a  reformer,  but  a  reformer  of  the  most  radical  and 
daring  stamp.  His  educational  scheme  is  a  truly 
magnificent  one,  and  would  have  been  crowned 
with  signal  success  but  for  the  coup  d'etat.  We 
owe  it  to  that  unfortunate  coup  that  it  is  not  now  in 
full  working  order  in  many,  if  not  all,  the  prov- 
inces. 

The  chapter  on  Religious  Toleration  is  admir- 
able in  every  way.     It  might  be  published  by  the 


Introduction  15 

China  Religious  Tract  Societies  almost  as  it 
stands.  It  would  make  a  very  useful  sheet  tract 
for  general  distribution.  The  Viceroy  deprecates  1 
all  religious  persecutions  as  wrong  and  impolitic. 
The  way  to  advance  Confucianism  in  his  opinion 
is  to  "  reform  the  government  and  not  everlast- 
ingly combat  other  religions." 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  this  is  no 
ordinary  book.  But  what  is  the  sum  of  the  whole 
matter?  Has  the  Viceroy  found  a  satisfactory 
answer  to  the  question:  How  is  China  to  be 
saved?  on  what  does  he  rest  his  hope  for  the 
future  of  his  country?  He  rests  his  hope  on  two 
things — namely,  the  renaissance  of  Confucianism  .| 
and  the  adoption  of  Western  science  and  methods. 
The  old  is  to  form  the  moral  basis,  and  the  new 
is  to  be  used  for  practical  purposes.  But  this 
would  simply  be  to  pour  new  wine  into  old  bottles 
with  the  inevitable  result  of  spoiling  both.  The 
enthusiasm  of  the  Viceroy  for  Confucianism  is 
natural  and  doubtless  very  sincere.  What  he 
needs  to  see  is  that  Confucianism  is  effete  and  alto- 
gether too  weak  to  bear  the  weight  of  a  reforma- 
tion such  as  he  desires.  We  pray  for  the  material 
prosperity  of  China.  But  would  material  pros-) 
perity  be  to  the  Chinese  in  their  present  moral  andi 
spiritual  condition  a  real  blessing?    Would  it  not 


16  Introduction 

be  a  bane  rather  than  a  blessing?  What  the  Chi- 
nese need  above  all  else,  and  what  they  must  have 
if  they  are  ever  to  attain  to  real  greatness  is  moral 
and  spiritual  life.  But  where  is  this  life  to  be 
found?  Surely  not  in  Confucianism.  Confucius 
was  a  good  man  and  one  of  the  world's  greatest 
,  \  \  sages ;  but  this  life  it  is  not  in  his  power  to  give. 
\  V  .  Christ  alone  is  the  bestower  of  this  life,  and  Christ 

J  alone  can  save  China.    Christianity  alone  can  form 
a  safe  and  an  adequate  basis  for  the  reformation 

\  which  the  Viceroy  seeks;  but,  alas!   he  does  not 
see  it. 

In  publishing  this  work,  Chang  Chih-tung  has 
rendered  a  great  service  to  his  country,  and  has 
laid  his  countrymen  under  lasting  obligations  to 
him.  In  his  preface  he  quotes  an  old  saying  which 
runs  thus :  "  If  a  man  will  not  understand  in  what 
misfortune  consists,  disgrace  is  sure  to  follow ; 
but  if  he  will  only  face  the  difficulty,  happiness 
will  ensue."  This  is  precisely  what  His  Excel- 
lency has  been  attempting  to  do  in  the  preparation 
of  this  work.  He  has  been  facing  the  difficulty, 
and  he  has  been  doing  so  honestly  and  fearlessly. 
Had  China  at  this  time  twenty  statesmen  possess- 
ing the  ability,  the  intelligence,  the  integrity,  and 
the  moral  courage  of  Chang  Chih-tung,  the  Em- 
pire might  yet  be  rescued  from  its  present  calam- 


Introduction  17 

ity,  and  its  days  might  be  prolonged  on  the  earth. 
But  where  is  a  second  Chang  Chih-tung  to  be 
found  ? 

Our  best  thanks  are  due  to  the  Rev.  S.  I.  Wood- 
bridge  for  this  translation  of  the  work.  His  was 
no  easy  task,  but  he  has  succeeded  admirably. 
This  is  not  a  verbal  rendering  of  the  original,  but 
something  far  better.  He  has  been  working,  as  he 
himself  tells  us,  "  with  a  free  hand,  believing  that 
a  strict  adherence  to  mere  words  is  slavish,  and 
that  the  spirit  and  genius  of  translation  consist  in 
conveying  the  thought  of  one  language  into  an- 
other by  the  shortest  and  quickest  route."  This 
is  a  sound  principle  and  the  translator  has  done 
well  in  adopting  it  in  rendering  this  valuable  work 
into  English.  By  adopting  this  course,  Mr.  Wood- 
bridge  has  succeeded  in  giving  us  a  translation 
which  is  at  once  true  and  readable,  a  combination 
not  always  met  with  in  attempts  of  the  kind.  He 
deserves  our  best  thanks  for  the  work  he  has 
done,  and  our  heartiest  congratulations  for  the 
able  way  in  which  he  has  done  it. 

Griffith  John. 

London  Mission, 

Hankow,  China. 


PREFACE 

In  olden  times,  Ch'u  Chwang  Wang  made  it 
his  chief  aim  to  exhort  his  people  to  diligence, 
and  to  caution  his  troops  lest  some  catastrophe 
should  suddenly  befall  his  countrymen.  In  con- 
sequence of  this,  the  kingdom  of  Ch'u  became 
powerful,  and  the  neighboring  countries — Ts'i, 
Tsin,  Ch'in,  and  Sung — were  intimidated  and 
held  in  check.  An  old  saying  runs :  "  If  a  man 
will  not  understand  in  what  misfortune  consists, 
disgrace  is  sure  to  follow ;  but  if  he  will  only  face 
the  difficulty,  happiness  will  ensue." 

In  no  period  of  China's  history  has  there  arisen 
an  emergency  like  the  present.  It  is  a  time  of 
change,  and  His  Imperial  Highness,  the  Emperor 
of  China,  has  accepted  the  situation  by  altering 
somewhat  the  system  of  civil  and  military  ex- 
aminations and  by  establishing  schools.  New 
plans  are  being  formed  for  the  welfare  of  the 
country  by  Chinese  philanthropists,  but  these  plans 
differ  both  in  degree  and  kind.  There  are  some 
who  hold  that  the  new  learning  will  save  us; 
19 


20  Preface 

others  maintain  that  its  acceptation  will  abrogate 
our  old  doctrines,  and  that  we  ought  to  hold  fast 
the  patrimony  of  our  sages.  Who  can  tell  which 
is  right?  The  Conservatives  are  evidently  off 
their  food  from  inability  to  swallow,  whilst  the 
Liberals  are  like  a  flock  of  sheep  who  have  arrived 
at  a  road  of  many  forks  and  do  not  know  which  to 
follow.  The  former  do  not  understand  what  in- 
ternational intercourse  means,  the  latter  are  ig- 
norant of  what  is  radical  in  Chinese  affairs.  The 
Conservatives  fail  to  see  the  utility  of  modern 
military  methods  and  the  benefits  of  successful 
change,  while  the  Progressionists,  zealous  with- 
out knowledge,  look  with  contempt  upon  our 
widespread  doctrines  of  Confucius.  Thus  those 
who  cling  to  the  old  order  of  things  heartily  de- 
spise those  who  even  propose  any  innovation,  and 
they  in  turn  cordially  detest  the  Conservatives 
with  all  the  ardor  of  their  liberal  convictions.  It 
thus  falls  out  that  those  who  really  wish  to  learn 
are  in  doubt  as  to  which  course  to  pursue,  and  in 
the  meantime  error  creeps  in,  the  enemy  invades 
our  coast,  and,  consequently,  there  is  no  defence 
and  no  peace. 
I  The  present  condition  of  things  is  not  due  to 
outside  nations,  but  to  China  herself.  It  has  ever 
been  true  that  the  number  of  our  able  men  has  been 


Preface  2 1 

proportioned  to  the  good  qualities  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  that  morals  are  gauged  by  the  conduct 
of  the  schools.  In  view  of  many  facts,  and  with 
the  hope  of  relieving  our  country  from  her  pres- 
ent embarrassments,  We,  the  Viceroy  of  the  Liang 
Hu,  have  prepared  this  work  especially  for  the 
Chinese  under  our  jurisdiction,  and  generally  for 
our  countrymen  in  the  other  provinces.  It  con- 
sists of  two  parts,  divided  and  discussed  as  fol- 
lows: 

Part  I. — Moral. 

Subject:  Radical  Principles  a  means  of  recti- 
fying the  Heart. 

Chapter  I.  United  Hearts. — It  is  plain  that 
three  things  claim  our  attention  just  now — the 
protection  of  the  Empire,  the  Religion,  and  the 
Race.  If  the  hands  and  feet  are  nimble,  the  eyes 
and  head  will  be  at  rest,  and  if  the  constitution 
is  robust,  the  purpose  will  be  strong.  The  Im-1 
perial  power  will  increase  in  proportion  to  the/ 
number  of  intellectual  men  who  come  forward.   -' 

Chapter  II. — The  Inculcation  of  Loyalty. — 
The  moral  excellence  of  this  Dynasty  is  so  uni- 
versally known  that  both  ministers  and  people 
should  cherish  an  ardent  patriotism  in  order  to 
conserve  the  country. 


22  Preface 

Chapter  III.  The  Three  Moral  Obligations. — 
The  sages  have  always  taught  that  the  true  rela- 
tions existing  between  the  sovereign  and  subject, 
father  and  son,  and  husband  and  wife,  are  of 
prime  importance,  the  radix  of  propriety  and  the 
distinguishing  feature  between  man  and  the 
brutes. 

Chapter  IV.  The  Recognition  of  Class.— We 
are  grieved  lest  the  Chinese — the  descendants  of 
the  gods — should  be  sunk  in  obscurity,  and  We 
write  this  chapter  for  the  protection  of  our  race. 

Chapter  V.  Honor  due  the  Classics. — Some  of 
our  extra-canonical  books  are  good,  others  are  per- 
nicious. Let  not  the  bad  obscure  what  is  good. 
Doctrines  that  tend  to  disrupt  ought  not  to  be  fol- 
lowed. Before  any  work  is  approved  it  should 
fee  brought  to  the  touchstone  of  the  Holy  Canons. 

Chapter  VI.  Centralization  of  Power. — Differ- 
entiate between  officials  and  people,  but  give  direc- 
tion to  popular  thought.  We  denounce  republi- 
canism as  rebellious. 

Chapter  VII.  The  Proper  Sequence  of  Things. 
— That  which  enters  first,  dominates.  A  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  Chinese  is  necessary  in  order 
to  a  Western  education.  Possessing  this  knowl- 
1  edge  our  ancestors  will  not  be  forgotten. 

Chapter  VIII.   Attending  to  what  is  Vital. — 


Preface  23 

To  rejoice  in  the  new  is  sweet ;  to  love  the  old  is 
bitter.  If  we  are  to  preserve  Chinese  learning,  we 
must  find  out  what  is  important  and  hold  to  it. 

Chapter  IX.  Cast  out  the  Poison! — The  for- 
eign drug  (opium)  is  debasing  the  homes  and 
sweeping  away  the  lives  of  our  people.  Cut  it  off, 
root  and  branch ! 


Part  II. — Practical. 

Subject :  The  Intercourse  of  Nations  a  means 
of  Enlightenment. 

Chapter  I.  Beneficial  Knoivledge. — When  un- 
known foes  assail  us,  we  are  deluded  and  meet 
with  disaster. 

Chapter  II.  Travel. — Discern  the  signs  of  the 
times,  enlarge  the  mind,  broaden  the  understand- 
ing, and  increase  the  skill  and  knowledge  of  the 
Chinese!  Without  travel  in  foreign  countries 
these  desiderata  cannot  be  obtained. 

Chapter  III.  The  Establishment  of  Schools. — 
Establish  schools  everywhere  adapted  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  for  putting  into  practice  the  knowledge 
of  the  graduates.    Rouse  the  stupid ! 

Chapter  IV.  The  Study  of  Regulations. — The 
strength  of  Western  countries  is  derived  from 
their  government  institutions  in  which  the  stu- 


24  Preface 

dents  are  required  to  observe  stipulated  rules. 
These  have  the  power  of  conferring  official  rank. 
We  should  establish  such  institutions  on  the  best 
approved  methods. 

Chapter  V.  The  Extensive  Translation  of 
Books. — The  benefits  derived  from  the  instruction 
of  Western  teachers  have  their  limits.  Those 
which  follow  the  translation  of  foreign  books  are 
boundless. 

Chapter  VI.  Newspaper  Reading. — It  is  diffi- 
cult to  see  one's  own  eyebrows  and  eyelashes, 
and  hard  to  take  bitter  medicine.  Be  sensible  of 
moral  corruption  and  cast  it  out  at  once!  Have 
a  knowledge  of  outside  evil  and  prepare  a  de- 
fence ! 

Chapter  VII.  Reform  of  Methods. — Self-pres- 
ervation demands  something  more  than  our  old 
inherited  principles. 

Chapter  VIII.  Raihvays. — Commerce  is  the 
blood  and  breath  of  a  nation. 

Chapter  IX.  Comparative  Study. — Know  how 
to  combine  the  gist  of  Western  learning  with  Chi- 
nese learning,  in  order  to  enlighten  dense  igno- 
rance. 

Chapter  X.  Maintaining  the  Army. — The  des- 
picable teaching  of  ease  and  lust  is  suicidal. 

Chapter  XL    Religious  Toleration. — The  out- 


Preface  25 

breaks  of  petty  malignity  against  different  sects 
defeat  great  schemes  and  are  to  be  deplored. 

The  corollaries  of  these  Twenty  Chapters  may 
be  briefly  comprehended  in 


Five  Objects  of  Knowledge. 

1.  Know  the  shame  of  not  being  like  Japan, 
Turkey,  Siam,  and  Cuba. 

2.  Know  the  fear  that  we  will  become  as  India, 
Annam,  Burmah,  Korea,  Egypt,  and  Poland. 

3.  Know  that  if  we  do  not  change  our  customs » 
we  cannot  reform  our  methods,  and  if  we  do  not 
reform  our  methods  we  cannot  utilize  the  modern 
implements  of  war,  etc. 

4.  Know  what  is  important.  The  study  of  the 
old  is  not  urgent ;  the  call  for  men  of  attainments 
is  useful ;  knowledge  is  pressing.  Foreign  educa- 
tion is  of  different  kinds.  Western  handicraft  is 
not  in  demand,  but  a  knowledge  of  the  methods 
of  foreign  governments  is  a  consummation  de- 
voutly to  be  wished. 

5.  Know  what  is  radical.  When  abroad,  do 
not  forget  your  own  native  country;  when  you 
see  strange  customs,  do  not  forget  your  parents ; 
and  let  not  much  wisdom  and  ingenuity  make  you 
forget  the  holy  sages. 


26  .  Preface 

It  will  be  seen  then  that  the  purport  of  what  we 
have  written  accords  well  with  the  Doctrine  of  the 
Mean.  Long  ago,  when  the  kingdom  of  Lu  was 
in  a  weak  condition,  Duke  Ai  [b.c.  550]  inquired 
of  Confucius  about  government.  He  replied: 
"  To  be  fond  of  learning  is  the  next  thing  to 
knowledge.  To  be  up  and  doing  comes  near  to 
perfection.  Know  what  shame  is,  and  you  will 
not  be  far  from  heroism."  Finally  the  sage  said : 
"  If  these  principles  can  be  carried  out,  although 
one  may  be  stupid,  yet  he  will  become  clever ;  al- 
though weak,  he  will  attain  to  strength."  These 
maxims  were  spoken  in  the  time  of  Lu.  How 
much  more  urgent  are  they  now  when  China  has 
become  great,  with  her  almost  limitless  territory 
and  her  teeming  population  of  four  hundred 
millions! 

At  the  outset  of  this  Preface  We  referred  to  a 
state  of  things  that  existed  in  the  time  of  Ch'u. 
This  is  because  We  are  apprehensive,  lest  the  offi- 
cials and  gentry  accustomed  to  a  life  of  otiitm 
cum  dignitate  should  be  indifferent  to  the  im- 
pending perils  which  now  threaten  the  Empire; 
and,  fearing  that  they  will  impatiently  cast  the 
subject  aside  and  not  seek  to  renew  our  strength, 
we  call  their  attention  to  what  Confucius  enun- 
ciated.    The  Book  of  Changes  [b.c.  2800]  says: 


Preface  27 

"  Though  threatened  by  overthrow,  we  still  cling 
fast  to  safety."    Let  us  fully  realize  the  magnitude 
of  the  danger  and  then  we  will  put  forth  our  most 
strenuous  efforts  to  avert  it. 
Written  by 

Chang  Chih-tung, 
of  Nan-p'i. 


I 


PART   I 
MORAL 


CHAPTER   I 

UNITED    HEARTS 

When  Fan  Wen-chang  was  a  mere  youth  he 
was  so  patriotic  as  to  feel  that  the  responsibility 
of  the  government  rested  upon  himself.  The 
philosopher  Ch'eng  said:  "  If  real  altruism  exist- 
ed in  the  heart  of  only  one  official,  some  amount  of 
good  would  be  sure  to  follow."  Another  sage  has 
it :  "  Every  man  in  the  Empire,  however  hum- 
ble and  despised  he  may  be,  has  some  duty  to  per- 
form to  his  government."  How  circumscribed 
would  be  the  responsibility  of  one  graduate,  the  A 

altruism  of  one  official,  or  the  duty  of  a  single  in-  '..''*, 

dividual !  But  if  by  one  determined  purpose  the 
hearts  of  all  the  graduates,  the  officials  and  the  I  ,.,'' 
men  of  China  were  united,  our  country  would  rest  |  ^  * 
upon  a  great  rock  and  we  could  defy  the  world  to 
overthrow  us.  To  attain  this  object  it  is  necessary 
first  that  every  man  should  fulfil  his  duty  to  his 
parents  and  elders.  The  country  would  then  be 
at  peace.  And  if  every  Chinese  would  but  exer- 
31 


32  China's  Only  Hope 

cise  his  wisdom  and  courage  the  Empire  would 
become  strong. 

Generally  speaking,  our  government  institu- 
tions are  used  in  times  of  peace  and  prosperity  for 
(the  encouragement  of  learning,  and  our  officials 
are  employed  for  the  maintenance  of  power.  Thus 
by  favor  of  the  Court  the  capabilities  of  the  people 
are  enlarged.  But  when  danger  and  distress 
threaten  to  overwhelm  the  country,  the  mandarins 
maintain  a  rigid  chastity  and  the  people  stand 
ready  for  her  defence.  Great  plainness  of  speech 
is  employed  by  the  counsellors  of  the  sovereign, 
and  the  best  wisdom  of  the  Empire  is  called  forth 
to  meet  the  issue.  There  is  one  great  purpose  in 
the  hearts  of  all :  to  save  the  country  from  cor- 
ruption ;  and  the  strength  of  the  land  is  concen- 
trated in  order  to  guard  against  the  impending 
evil.  Thus  the  resources  of  the  people  are  ex- 
hibited and  the  Court  is  freed  from  anxious  care. 

We  would  here  state  that  there  are  now  three 
things  necessary  to  be  done  in  order  to  save  China 
'from  revolution.  The  first  is  to  maintain  the 
reigniiig  Dynasty;  the  second  is  to  conserve  the 
Holy  Religion;  and  the  third  is  to  protect  the  Chi- 
nese Race.  These  are  inseparably  connected ;  in 
fact  they  together  constitute  one ;  for  in  order  to 
protect  the  Chinese  Race  we  must  first  conserve 


United  Hearts  33 

the  Religion,  and  if  the  Religion  is  to  be  con- 
served we  are  bound  to  maintain  the  Dynasty. 
But,  it  may  be  asked,  how  can  we  protect  the 
Race?  We  reply,  by  knowledge;  and  knowl- 
edge is  religion ;  and  religion  is  propagated  by 
strength;  and  strength  lies  in  the  troops.  Con- 
sequently, in  countries  of  no  prestige  and  power 
the  native  religion  is  not  followed,  and  in  king- 
doms that  are  not  prosperous  the  native  race  is 
held  in  light  esteem  by  their  more  fortunate 
neighbors.  Mohammedanism  is  unreasonable, 
but  Turkey  is  fierce  and  warlike,  so  Mohamme- 
danism survives.  Buddhism  is  near  the  truth, 
but  India  is  stupid  and  foolish,  and  Buddhism 
perishes.  Nestorianism  waned  because  Persia 
grew  weak,  and  the  old  Greek  religion  is  dying 
out  for  the  same  reason.  Roman  Catholicism 
and  Protestantism  have  been  propagated  over 
three-fifths  of  the  globe  by  military  power. 

Our  Holy  Religion  has  flourished  in  China  sev- 1 
eral  thousand  years  without  change.  The  early 
Emperors  and  Kings  embellished  our  tenets  by 
their  noble  examples  and  bequeathed  to  us  the  rich 
legacy  which  we  now  possess.  The  sovereigns 
were  the  teachers.  The  Han,  the  T'ang  and  all 
the  Chinese  Dynasties  to  the  Ming  [embracing  a 
period  of  1800  years],  honored  and  revered  the  re- 


34  China's  Only  Hope 

ligion  of  Confucius,  Religion  is  the  government, 
and  the  Emperors  of  our  Dynasty  honor  Confu- 
cianism with  a  still  greater  reverence.  It  was  the 
sages  who  purged  the  heresy  from  the  Classics 
and  handed  them  down  to  us  in  compiled  form. 
The  Emperors  themselves  follow  the  truth  and 
then  instruct  all  in  the  Empire,  so  that  every  one 
that  has  breath  knows  how  to  honor  and  how  to 
love.  For  government  and  religion  are  insepara- 
bly linked  together  and  constitute  the  warp  of 
the  past  and  present,  the  woof  of  intercommuni- 
cation between  China  and  the  West. 

The  foundations  of  our  State  are  deep  and 
durable.  Protected  by  Heaven,  the  superstruct- 
ure will  certainly  stand  secure !  But  supposing 
this  absurd  gossip  about  the  partition  of  China  by 
Europeans  were  true  and  the  country  were  cut 
up,  be  it  ever  so  exalted  and  excellent,  would 
foreigners  respect  the  Holy  Doctrine  of  Confu- 
cius? Far  from  it.  The  Classics  of  the  Four 
Philosophers  would  be  thrown  out  as  refuse,  and 
the  Confucian  cap  and  gown  would  never  more 
cherish  the  hope  of  an  official  career.  Our  clever 
scholars  would  figure  as  clergymen,  compradores, 
and  clerks,  whilst  the  common  people  would  be 
required  to  pay  a  poll-tax  and  be  used  as  soldiers, 
artisans,  underlings,  and  servants.    That  is  what 


United  Hearts  35 

would  happen.  And  the  more  menial  our  people 
became,  the  more  stupid  they  would  be;  until 
being  both  menial  and  stupid,  they  would  become 
reduced  to  wretched  poverty  and  at  last  perish 
miserably.  Our  Holy  Religion  would  meet  the 
same  fate  that  Brahmanism  in  India  did.  Its 
adherents  would  be  found  skulking  away,  or 
crouching  among  the  cavernous  hills,  but  cling- 
ing fast  the  while  to  some  tattered  remnants  of 
the  truth!  The  Flowery  People  would  become 
like  the  black  Kwun  Lun  of  the  Southern  Ocean, 
the  life-long  slaves  of  men,  vainly  seeking  an 
escape  from  the  curses  and  blows  of  their  mas- 
ters.* 

Under  the  present  circumstances  there  is  noth- 
ing for  it  but  to  arouse  ourselves  to  the  situation. 
Let  us  display  our  loyalty  and  love  and  embrace 
every  opportunity  to  become  wealthy  and  strong ; 
let  our  first  object  be  the  veneration  of  the  Im- 
perial Court  which  vouchsafes  its  protection  to  the 
commonwealth,  and  let  those  who  hold  the  reins 
of  government  consider  the  general  good.  At  this 
critical  time  the  confidential  advisers  of  the  Em- 
peror should  be  candid  and  truthful  men,  who  will 
make  it  their  business  to  give  warning  on  the 
slightest  approach  of  danger.     The  high  officers 

*  See  Appendix,  "  The  Position  of  Chang  Chih-tung." 


36  China's  Only  Hope 

on  the  frontier  should  see  that  the  sinews  of  war 
are  adequate  to  meet  the  occasion.  The  generals 
and  commanders  should  make  clear  what  the  feel- 
ing of  shame  is  and  teach  their  troops  the  art  of 
war.  The  soldiers  and  people  should  all  cherish 
an  affection  for  their  superiors  and  lay  down  their 
lives  for  their  elders.  The  literati  should_  become 
conversant  with  the  things  of  the  times^  Thus, 
if  the  Emperor  and  the  ministers  of  China  become 
united  in  heart,  and  the  people  combined  in 
strength,  will  not  the  Records  of  the  Chu  and 
Sii  [Confucianism]  and  the  descendants  of  the 
gods  [Chinese]  have  something  on  which  to  de- 
pend? There  are  many  patriots  in  these  gloomy 
times  who  believe  that  the  mere  reverence  of  Con- 
fucian belles  lettrcs  will  protect  our  religion. 
Others  hold  that  concerted  action  alone  can  con- 
serve the  race.  These  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that 
our  safety  lies  in  maintaining  all  three  together: 
the  State,  the  Religion,  and  the  Race ;  the  State 
first,  for  this  is  fundamental.  The  Tso  Chuan  [A 
radc  mcciim  of  the  Chinese  literati]  aptly  says: 
"  If  the  skin  perishes,  where  is  the  good  of  mind- 
ing about  the  hair?"  And  Mencius  says:  "If 
the  sovereign  possess  the  power  to  rule  the  com- 
monwealth justly,  who  would  dare  insult  him?" 
And  Mencius  is  right. 


CHAPTER    II 

THE     INCULCATION     OF     LOYALTY 

No  Dynasty  since  the  Han  [about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  era]  and  Tang  has  exhib- 
ited a  greater  benevolence  toward  its  subjects 
than  this  our  Holy  Ts'ing.  Among  many  ad- 
vantages conferred  upon  the  people  by  this  be- 
neficent Government  we  enumerate  several  below. 

There  has  been  a  marked  decrease  in  taxation. 
The  old  system  under  which  the  people  were  re- 
quired to  labor  gratis  at  certain  times,  and  to  pay 
a  poll-tax,  has  been  abolished  ;  and  only  land  is  »  '  j 
assessed.  Formerly  the  taxes  were  remitted  in 
certain  localities ;  now  the  people  of  whole  prov- 
inces and,  on  many  occasions,  of  the  whole  Em- 
pire, are,  by  an  act  of  grace  on  the  part  of  the 
sovereign,  exempted  from  this  burden.  In  times 
of  adversity,  such  as  floods  and  famine,  our  sov- 
ereigns have  displayed  a  generosity  far  greater 
than  their  predecessors,  contributing  millions  of 
taels  to  the  suffering  multitudes.  The  laborers 
employed  by  the  Government  on  public  works  al- 
37 


38  China's  Only  Hope 

ways  receive  pay.  Then,  there  is  a  clemency 
shown  to  the  merchant  class  that  was  unknown  to 
the  earlier  Dynasties,  who  forced  these  men  to  sell 
at  "  mandarin  "  prices,  below  the  market  value. 
In  Soochow  and  Hangchow  the  Imperial  looms 
weave  silk  for  the  use  of  the  Court,  and  in  Can- 
ton and  other  places  wood-work  is  produced. 
The  weavers  and  artificers  all  receive  good  profit 
on  their  outlay.  Laws  that  formerly  exacted 
heavy  tribute  of  precious  things,  food-stuffs,  etc., 
exist  now  only  in  name.  Our  Dynasty  receives 
such  things  as  ink-slabs,  wood,  incense,  oranges, 
lichees,  etc.,  from  Canton ;  paper,  fans,  pencils, 
ink,  medicine,  etc.,  from  Kiangsu ;  and  bamboo 
shoots,  mugwort,  yellow  cloth,  etc.,  from  Hupeh. 
But  these  are  all  amply  paid  for,  and  the  mer- 
chants in  these  provinces  are  not  burdened  on 
account  of  the  tribute. 

It  was  once  the  case  that  when  the  prince  went 
abroad  on  his  travels  throughout  the  Empire,  the 
people  were  put  to  great  inconvenience  and  ex- 
pense, and  all  within  the  four  seas  were  in  a  flut- 
ter of  excitement.  Now  the  sovereign  never 
leaves  the  capital  except  to  observe  the  river 
works,  or  to  witness  and  relieve  the  ravages  of 
famine.  On  these  occasions,  instead  of  being  a 
iburden  to  the  people,  he  remits  their  taxes,  and  the 


The  Inculcation  of  Loyalty  39 

expenses  of  his  journey  are  borne  by  the  officials, 
or  the  salt  gabelle. 

Our  people  are  not  forced  to  serve  as  soldiers. 
Enlistment  is  a  voluntary  act,  and  the  troops  are 
paid  for  their  services.  Our  Dynasty  acts  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  exigency  of  affairs,  and  to-day 
the  laws  are  equitably  carried  into  effect,  and 
where  other  Emperors  have  been  cruel,  the  kind- 
ness of  this  Dynasty  may  be  likened  to  that  of: 
Heaven.  The  penal  laws  are  against  the  exter-f 
mination  of  whole  tribes,  the  mutilation  of  crimi- 
nals, and  extortions  of  confession  by  torture.*  If 
these  laws  are  infringed,  the  delinquent  official 
loses  his  position.  A  discrimination  is  made  be- 

*  This  is  the  law,  but  not  always  the  practice.  We 
need  not  exclaim  in  horror  at  this  when  we  remember 
what  happened  in  the  time  of  James  I.,  when  the 
brilliant  Francis  Bacon  was  Lord  Chancellor  of  Eng- 
land. "  An  aged  clergyman,"  says  Macaulay,  "  of  the 
name  of  Peacham  was  accused  of  treason  on  account 
of  some  passages  of  a  sermon  which  was  found  in  his 
study.  The  sermon,  whether  written  by  him  or  not, 
had  never  been  preached.  It  did  not  appear  that  he 
had  any  intention  of  preaching  it.  The  most  servile 
lawyers  in  those  servile  times  were  forced  to  admit  that 
there  were  great  difficulties  both  as  to  the  facts  and 
as  to  the  law.  Bacon  was  employed  to  remove  those 
difficulties.  But  in  order  to  convict  Peacham  it  was 
necessary  to  find  facts  as  well  as  law.  Accordingly,  this 
wretched  old  man  was  put  to  the  rack,  and,  while  un- 
dergoing the  horrible  infliction,  was  examined  by 
Bacon,  but  in  vain.  No  confession  could  be  wrung  out 
of  him;  and  Bacon  wrote  to  the  king,  complaining  that 
Peacham  had  a  dumb  devil  .  .  .  and  Peacham  was 
suffered  to  languish  away  the  short  remainder  of  his 
life  in  a  prison." — Translator. 


4o  China's  Only  Hope 

tween  clear  and  circumstantial  evidence.  Doubt- 
ful cases  are  referred  to  higher  authority,  with 
recommendation  to  mercy.  The  infliction  of  one 
hundred  blows  of  the  bamboo  has  been  changed 
to  forty,  and  in  summer  to  thirty-two.  The 
young  and  the  old  are  leniently  dealt  with,  and 

I  if  a  criminal  be  an  only  child  he  is  spared  the 
clutches  of  the  law  in  order  to  support  his  par- 
ents. Laws  relating  to  banishment  with  hard 
labor  and  privation  have  been  abolished ;  and  the 
family  of  capital  criminals  is  not  extirpated. 
The  females  in  an  offending  official's  family  are 
allowed  to  redeem  themselves.    f 

Our  Government  cares  for  the  Chinese  abroad. 
Some  years  ago  a  special  minister  was  sent  to 
look  after  the  interest  of  the  coolies  who  had  been 
kidnapped  to  Cuba,  and  the  Chinese  laborers  who 
were  being  oppressed  in  America.  A  convention 
in  which  the  Chinese  were  to  be  protected  from 
further  cruelty  was  agreed  to.  This  Dynasty  has 
never  been  ambitious  of  conquest  by  murder  and 
rapine.  It  holds  scholars  in  high  esteem,  re- 
peals unjust  laws  and  encourages  the  people  to 
loyalty,  by  honoring  the  posterity  of  officials  who 
lose  their  lives  in  the  service  of  their  country. 
The  Holy  Emperors  have  for  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  preserved  intact  the  laws 


The  Inculcation  of  Loyalty  41 

which  relate  to  the  family  and  the  heart,  and  have 
handed  them  down  to  us.  The  ministers  and  peo- 
ple daily  bask  in  the  smiles  of  Imperial  favor,  and 
to  the  present  day  receive  their  never-failing  sup- 
plies from  our  sovereign's  bounty.  Examine  the 
history  of  China  for  2,000  years  back  and  then 
compare  it  with  the  Western  history  of  fifty  years ! 
Does  the  government  of  these  foreign  countries 
present  such  a  record  of  generosity,  benevolence, 
loyalty,  and  honesty  as  ours? 

Although  China  is  not  so  wealthy  and  power- 
ful as  the  West,  her  people  of  whatever  condition, 
rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  all  enjoy  a  perfect  free- 
dom and  a  happy  life.  Not  so  all  the  inhabitants 
of  Western  lands.  Their  governments  may  be 
strong,  but  the  lower  classes  of  the  people  are  mis- 
erable, unhappy,  and  maliciously  wronged.  Their 
liberties  are  restrained,  and  there  is  no  redress. 
They  rise  in  rebellion  on  every  opportunity,  and  \ 
not  a  year  passes  without  an  account  of  the  murder/ 
of  some  king  or  the  stabbing  of  some  minister/ 
These  governments  certainly  cannot  be  compared 
with  our  China. 

Let  us  then,  the  grateful  officials  and  the  virtu- 
ous people  of  the  Emperor,  remain  loving  and  loyal 
in  these  times  of  danger,  and  let  each  man  consider 
the  Empire  as  a  part  and  parcel  of  himself.    Let 


42  China's  Only  Hope 

us  not  heed,  but  on  the  contrary  oppose  most 
strenuously,  all  the  incendiary  talk  of  violence 
which  is  heard  nowadays,  and  is  in  itself  a  crime 
against  the  Emperor,  and  which,  if  persisted  in, 
will  inaugurate  a  reign  of  anarchy.  Let  us  avoid 
it  as  we  do  some  defilement;  let  us  hate  it  as  the 
birds  hate  the  kites  and  hawks  which  pursue 
them.  Heaven  will  protect  a  nation  obedient  to 
the  wishes  of  its  sovereign.  And  have  we  a  peo- 
ple devoid  of  conscience  like  those  satirized  in 
the  Book  of  Poetry?* 

*  The  plain,  prose  meaning  of  this  metaphorical  Ode 
is  that  the  people  alluded  to  were  without  conscience, 
always  seeking  a  place;  that  they  were  like  an  ancient 
horse  who  fancied  himself  still  youthful,  but  did  not 
consider  that  he  was  unable  to  perform  the  duty  re- 
quired of  a  colt,  etc. — Translator. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    THREE     MORAL    OBLIGATIONS  . 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  tbat  the  Viceroy  is  writ- 
ing solely  for  his  own  countrymen  and  not  for  out- 
siders, and  that  his  readers,  whilst  highly  educated 
from  a  Chinese  view-point,  are  densely  ignorant  of 
European  manners  and  customs.  It  is  a  pitiable  fact 
that  the  great  majority  of  the  Chinese  regard  us  as 
brute  beasts;  and  it  is  popularly  understood  that  all 
countries  outside  the  limits  of  China  possess  no  laws 
regulating  the  marriage  and  other  relations.  This 
Chapter  is  a  sincere  attempt  to  enlighten  the  crass 
ignorance  of  the  author's  countrymen  on  this  point. 

The  subjects  of  the  Flowery  Kingdom  do  not  call 
their  country  "  China,"  but  Chung  Kzvoh,  or  "  Middle 
Kingdom."     It  is  incorrect  to  say  that  this  is  because/* 
the  people  believe  that  China  lies  in  the  middle  of  the  ' 
earth.     Chang   Chih-tung  rightly   says   that   the   name 
is  derived  from  "  The  Doctrine  of  the  Middle,"  which 
is    an    important    section    of    their    canonical    "  Four 
Books."     The  principles  of  the  Chinese  do  not  go  be- 
yond, and  do  not  fall  short  of,  what  is  just  and  right. 
The  "  Middle  Kingdom  "  is  therefore  so  called  because  ~j 
its  organization  was  supposed  to  be  perfect  and  com-  / 
plete.    We  Americans  proudly  imagine  that  our  coun- 
try is  E  pluribus  UNUM. — Translator. 

The  Sovereign  is  the  head  of  the  Subject,  the 
Father  is  the  head  of  the  Son,  and  the  Husband 
is  the  head  of  the  Wife.  These  tenets  have  been 
handed  down  from  the  sages,  and  as  Heaven  does 
not  change,  so  they  never  change.  They  consti- 
tute the  first  of  the  Five  Relations  and  the  main- 

43 


44  China's  Only  Hope 

spring  of  every  act.  Coming  down  to  us  from 
hoary  antiquity,  the  observance  of  them  has  ever 
marked  the  sage,  and  it  is  because  of  them  that 
China  is  the  "  Middle  Kingdom."  For  these 
tenets  neither  fall  short  of,  nor  go  beyond,  what 
is  right.  Know  then,  that  the  obligation  of  sub- 
'  ject  to  sovereign  is  incompatible  with  republican- 
•  ism  ;  that  the  duties  a  son  owes  to  a  father  conflict 
with  the  talk  about  the  father  and  son  being 
amenable  to  the  same  punishment  and  the  aboli- 
tion of  mourning  for,  and  sacrificing  to,  one's 
parents;  and  that  the  true  relation  which  exists 
between  man  and  wife  is  utterly  at  variance  with 
,the  prattle  about  a  man  and  woman  having  equal 
power. 

Now,  we  have  examined  somewhat  into  the 
methods  of  Western  Governments.     They  have 
their  Lords  and  Commons,  their  Senates  and  Rep- 
resentatives,   which   hold    their   prerogatives    in 
^      State  matters.     But  we  have  noticed  that   the 
^x  js/   Sovereign,  or  the  President,  retains  the  power  of 
f*  s'       dissolving  these  assemblies ;  and  in  case  one  as- 
sembly does  not  suit  him  he  exercises  this  power, 
dismisses  the  obnoxious  body  and  convenes  an- 
other. A  Constitutional  Government  with  a  Sov- 
ereign, and  a  Republic  are  about  the  same.     In 
the  West  the  intercourse  of  Sovereign,  Ministers, 


The  Three  Moral  Obligations        45 

and  People  is  easy,  the  rules  of  deportment 
meagre,  and  the  needs  of  the  people  are  com- 
municated to  the  sovereign  with  rapid  facility ; 
but  the  bearing  or  dignity  of  the  Western  Prince 
is  not  to  be  compared  with  that  of  the  Chinese 
Emperor.  Western  people,  however,  love  their ' 
sovereigns  more  than  the  Chinese  do  theirs,/ 
and,  although  they  may  leave  home  and  live 
abroad  thousands  of  miles  from  their  native  land, 
they  do  not  disobey  their  country's  laws,  or 
defraud  their  rulers.  Foreigners  living  in  China 
take  a  personal  interest  in  the  affairs  of  their  own 
nation.  If  their  country  meets  with  prosperity  or 
adversity,  success  or  failure,  joy  or  sorrow,  they 
are  affected  accordingly,  just  as  though  the  event 
had  happened  to  themselves.  It  is  a  mistake, 
then,  to  suppose  that  Western  countries  do  not 
maintain  the  doctrine  of  the  Relation  of  Subject  to 
Sovereign. 

Again,  in  the  Mosaic  Decalogue  the  duty  of' 
honoring  one's  parents  is  placed  next  to  that  of  ] 
worshipping  Heaven,  and  foreigners  also  put 
on  mourning  for  deceased  parents  and  wear  black 
bands  as  the  badge.  Although  they  have  no  such 
things  as  ancestral  halls  and  tablets  of  deceased 
relatives,  in  lieu  of  these  they  place  the  photo- 
graphs of  their  dead  parents  and  brothers  on  the 


V 

r 

46  China's  Only  Hope 

,  \  .    •     v.    tables  in  their  houses  and  make  offerings  to  them. 
A     <-    vv  w-      And  while  they  make  no  sacrifices  at  the  tombs  of 
[y     -  their  ancestors,  they  repair  their  graves  and  plant 

\  flowers  upon  them  as  an  act  of  worship.     It  will 

be  seen,  then,  that  Western  people  also  hold,  in 
common  with  us,  the  Relation  of  Father  and  Son. 
"  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery  "  is  another 
of   the   Ten   Commandments.      Western   society 
permits  the  platonic  intermingling  of  the  sexes. 
The  restraints  which  are  thrown  around  women 
may  seem  lax  to  a  Chinese,  but  we  must  remem- 
ber that  a  European  sets  a  low  price  on  a  whore- 
monger, and  there  are  rules  of  lawful  matrimony 
in  their  countries.    Consanguineous  marriages  are 
forbidden.     The  laws  of  kinship  proscribe  the 
n     '  intermarriage  of  the  descendants  of  parents  back 
I  seven  generations. 

Only  the  men  dress  in  coarse  cloth.  The  women 
wear  embroidered  silks,  and  can,  with  perfect  pro- 
priety, act  as  hostesses  at  dinner-parties.  This 
latter  was  done  in  China  also  during  the  Ts'i 
Dynasty.  Women  are  allowed  to  choose  their 
own  husbands,  but  the  parents  must  be  consulted 
before  making  the  engagement;  this  is  always 
done  before  the  marriage  is  consummated.  A 
European  cannot  legally  take  a  concubine.  This 
is  entirely  different  from  Chinese  custom. 


The  Three  Moral  Obligations       47 

So  it  is  a  false  imputation  to  say  that  foreigners 
make  no  difference  between  men  and  women ; 
they  love  and  adore  their  wives  too  much,  we 
should  say;  but  they  do  not  employ  them  in 
government  or  military  affairs,  Parliament,  Con- 
gress, or  in  manufactories.  We  point  out  the  fact, 
then,  that  Western  countries  possess  the  Relation 
of  Husband  and  Wife. 

The  sage  is  the  outcome  of  the  perfect  practice 
of  the  Five  Relations ;  and  it  was  our  sages  who 
established  the  rules  of  propriety  based  on  the 
affections.  Although  these  rules  are  "  few  and 
far  between  "  in  Western  countries,  still  foreign- 
ers have  not  abolished  altogether  the  idea  of  eti- 
quette. 

Sincerity  is  the  norm  of  Heaven  and  the  law  of 
our  nature.     China  and  the  West  agree  on  this 
point,  for  without  sincerity  no  human  prince  could 
ever  found  a  state,  and  no  earthly  teacher  could 
ever  establish  a  religion.    But  there  is  a  class  of 
stupid  and  ignorant  whippersnappers  with  a  mere, 
superficiality  of  wisdom  who  exalt  the  excellence! 
of  Western  administration,  schools,  manners,  and! 
customs  above  those  of  China.     These   fellows  i 
seem  desirous  of  abolishing  altogether  our  religion 
and  our  administration,  and  substituting  in  their 
place   the   immature   governments   and   brusque 


48  China's  Only  Hope 

manners  of  the  foreigners.  In  their  food,  drink, 
attire,  amusements,  and  in  the  ordering  of  their 
women,  they  ape  the  Western  man  in  every  detail. 
And  the  Western  man  laughs ! 

But  worst  of  all,  when  Chinese  literati  meet  ac- 
cording to  appointment  they  must  adopt  a  time 
regulation  *  called  "  seven-day  worship."  This 
"worship  day"  [Sunday]  is  called  Sing  Ch'i; 
the  steam  factories,  etc.,  stop  work  at  this  time, 
and  the  workmen  are  compelled  to  rest.  We  have 
recently  heard  a  rumor  that  in  some  of  the  foreign 
Treaty  Ports  a  movement  has  been  inaugurated 
to  abrogate  the  Three  Moral  Obligations,  the  real 
intent  and  purpose  of  which  is  to  give  free  rein 
and  license  to  the  evil  passions  of  its  promoters. 
Nothing  could  be  worse  than  this, and  the  thought 
makes  one  tremble.  China  has  never  possessed  a 
government  founded  on  such  outrageous  prin* 
ciples.  The  West  acknowledges  no  religion  sup- 
ported by  such  pernicious  tenets.  A  hybrid 
scheme  indeed !  Our  own  opinion  is  that  the  coun- 
tries of  the  world  will  combine  to  stop  such  an 
outrageous  proceeding. 

*  The  hebdomadal  division  of  time,  introduced  by  the 
missionaries  into  China,  has  been  found  so  convenient 
that  the  Chinese  are  rapidly  adopting  it. 


CHAPTER     IV 

THE    RECOGNITION    OF    CLASS 

The  doctrine  of  race  distinction  has  been 
handed  down  to  us  from  the  ancients.  The  Book 
of  Changes  says :  "  A  clever  body  can  detect 
nationality  by  the  man,"  and  the  Tso  Ch'uan:  "  If 
one  is  not  of  my  nationality  his  heart  is  essentially 
different.  The  gods  do  not  accept  the  oblations  of 
an  alien  race,  and  the  people  do  not  sacrifice  to  the 
manes  of  foreigners."  And  the  Book  of  Rites 
says :  "  Every  creature  of  intelligence  knows  how 
to  love  its  own  kind."  But  it  was  only  our  god- 
like Confucius  who  could  say:  "  Given  instruction, 
there  will  be  no  distinction  of  class."  The  Em- 
perors of  our  Middle  Flowery  Kingdom,  ruling 
with  supreme,  unbounded  sway,  can  alone  instruct 
without  regard  to  class.    None  else  are  able. 

Foreigners  divide  the  people  of  the  five  great 
continents  into  five  classes — the  White  race  of  Eu- 
rope, the  Yellow  race  of  Asia,  the  Black  race  of 
Africa,  the  Dark-brown  race  of  India,  and  the 
primitive  Red  race  of  America.    The  Europeans 

49 


^o  China's  Only  Hope 

are  subdivided.  The  Russians  are  Slavs;  the 
English,  Prussians,  Austrians,  and  Dutch  are 
Germans ;  the  French,  Italians,  etc.,  'are  Romans. 
The  enlightened  Americans  came  originally  from 
England,  and  are  classed  as  whites.  The  people 
of  each  race  have  their  national  characteristics, 
and  mutually  affiliate.  China  is  bounded  on  the 
west  by  the  Kw'un  Lun  Mountains,  on  the  east 
by  the  sea,  on  the  south  by  the  Southern  Ocean, 
and  on  the  north  by  Feng  T'ien,  Kirin,  the  Amoor 
River,  and  Mongolia.  On  the  south,  lying  on  the 
sea,  are  Annam,  Siam,  and  Burmah ;  on  the  west 
the  Three  Indias;  on  the  east  are  seagirt  Corea 
and  Japan  (separated  by  channels).  And  these 
countries  comprise  the  continent  of  Asia,  the  peo- 
ple of  which  are  known  as  the  Yellow  race,  and 
all  have  once  been  under  the  farfamed  instruction 
of  China's  ancient  Emperors.  The  people  of  Asia 
are  the  descendants  of  the  gods,  called  before  the 
Sui  Dynasty  in  Buddhist  books  Chcntan.  The 
Western  people  dub  the  Chinese  "  Mongolians  " 
from  the  fact  that  they  first  had  intercourse  with 
us  in  the  Yuen  Dynasty.  Russians  call  us  Kitans  * 


♦Kitans,  or  Khitans-Tartars,  who  ruled  Northern 
China  907—  1 115  a.d.,  under  the  name  of  the  Liao 
Dynasty.  Hence  the  word  Cathay,  corrupted  through 
Persian,  used  by  Marco  Polo  as  Kitai,  to  designate 
China  generally. — Giles. 


The  Recognition  of  Class  51 

which  is  an  evidence  that  the  Chinese  are  the  same  i, 
race  as  other  Asiatics.  The  countries  of  Asia  are 
so  situated  in  the  world  that  the  climate  is  fine ; 
cold  and  heat  being  equally  distributed ;  the  peo- 
ple are  naturally  well-gifted,  possessing  genteel 
customs  and  peaceful  and  friendly  manners. 
From  of  old  we  have  been  called  most  honorable, 
most  great,  and  most  happily  governed.  The 
highest  degree  of  culture  was  reached  in  the  Chow1''' 
[b.c.  1122-255]  Dynasty.  Then  began  the  decline 
about  which  Confucius  grieved.  The  Dynasties 
following  had  no  powerful  neighbors  to  strive 
against,  but  heaped  up  large  treasures  of  literary 
lore  at  the  expense  of  power.  This  accumulation 
produced  the  hollowness  of  forms,  and  this  in  turn 
begat  weakness. 

Not  so  all  the  countries  of  Europe.  These  were 
opened  up  at  a  late  period  in  history,  fresh  and 
vigorous.  Surrounded  by  strong  neighbors,  they  I 
were  always  in  circumstances  of  desperate  com- 
petition, stripped  for  a  fight  and  ever  striving  to 
escape  destruction.  Continual  apprehension  pro- 
duced determination,  and  determination  begat 
strength.  Of  all  countries  China  alone  has  for1 
these  fifty  years  proved  herself  almost  irreclaim 
ably  stupid  and  not  awake.  Many  of  the  officials 
and  people  are  proud  an3j  indolent.     They  con- 


52  China's  Only  Hope 

tentedly  rest  in  the  belief  that  the  old  order  of 
things  will  suffice  for  these  dangerous  times,  and 
in  the  end  become  the  easy  prey  of  outsiders.  But 
China  is  not  lacking  in  men  who  have  begun  to 
arouse  themselves  for  their  country's  deliverance. 
How  different  are  these  patriots  from  that  class 
who  are  blinded  to  the  situation,  and,  regardless 
of  the  welfare  of  the  country,  hold  that  if  China 
is  partitioned  by  foreigners  it  will  not  affect  their 
1  wealth  and  position.  And  so  they  take  advantage 
of  the  crisis  to  fill  their  own  pockets,  in  order  to 
iorm  partnerships  with  foreigners  when  the  crash 
comes,  be  "  Western  merchants  "  themselves,  or 
be  naturalized  abroad.  These  disgruntled  people 
go  so  far  as  to  assert  in  a  vicious  manner  that 
China  is  incapable  of  action,  and  that  the  Holy 
Religion  is  effete.  They  are  willing  to  cast  off 
their  own  friends  and  associates,  to  affiliate  with 
foreigners  and  adopt  foreign  ways.  They  rest  in 
the  hope  that  China  will  change  in  some  manner, 
and  that  they  will  be  protected  by  aliens.  Good 
patriots  consider  such  men  rebellious.  Intelli- 
gent men  regard  them  as  fools. 

India  is  a  dependency  of  England.  The  natives 
of  India  are  eligible  as  soldiers  and  petty  officers, 
but  are  not  allowed  to  hold  high  positions  in  the 
army,  and  they  cannot  enter  the  institutions  of 


The  Recognition  of  Class  5$ 

learning.  Annam  is  tributary  to  France ;  the  Chi- 
nese in  that  country  are  compelled  to  pay  a  poll 
tax.  Not  so  the  foreigners.  The  Chinese  are  not 
allowed  to  travel  without  passports.  Not  so  the 
foreigners.  Cuba  is  a  dependency  of  Spain.  The 
natives  are  not  allowed  to  enter  their  Halls  of 
Legislation.  When  America  was  first  opened  up, 
much  dependence  was  placed  on  Chinese  labor. 
Now  when  that  country  has  become  rich  and  pros- 
perous, Chinese  labor  is  restricted,  while  that  of 
other  foreigners  is  allowed. 

Not  many  years  ago  a  certain  Chinese  official 
absconded  with  about  half  a  million  in  gold  of 
public  funds.  He  placed  this  sum  in  a  German 
bank.  Dying  soon  after,  the  bank  thereupon  can-, 
celled  the  account  and  kept  this  sum  for  them-' 
selves,  giving  only  a  small  interest  to  the  relatives' 
of  the  deceased. 

A  sensible  man  will  not  repudiate  his  country 
because,  forsooth  !  there  are  some  things  in  it  that 
he  does  not  like. 


CHAPTER   V 

HONOR    DUE    THE    CLASSICS 

[As  this  chapter  might  prove  tedious  to  the  gen- 
eral reader  we  omit  it,  stating  merely  that  it  con- 
sists largely  of  a  dissertation  on  books,  many  of 
which  belong  to  a  hoary  antiquity.  The  value 
of  all  literature,  His  Excellency  repeats,  should 
be  tested  by  Confucian  and  Mencian  scales. — 
Translator.]       1  ^ ' 


54 


CHAPTER   VI 

CENTRALIZATION     OF     POWER 

There  is  a  class  of  Chinese  in  the  country  just 
now  who  have  become  impatient  and  vexed  with 
the  present  order  of  things.  They  chafe  at  the  in- 
sults offered  to  us  by  foreigners,  the  impotency  of 
the  mandarins  in  war,  and  the  unwillingness  of 
the  high  officials  to  reform  our  mercantile  and 
educational  methods :  and  they  would  lead  any 
movement  to  assemble  the  people  together  for  the 
discussion  of  a  republic.  Alas !  where  did  they 
find  this  word  that  savors  so  much  of  rebellion  ?  A 
republic,  indeed !  There  is  not  a  particle  of  good  j 
to  be  derived  from  it.  On  the  contrary,  such  a 
system  is  fraught  with  a  hundred  evils.  These 
evils  we  will  now  demonstrate.  The  first  thing 
necessary  in  a  republic  is  a  Parliament,  and  it  is 
said  that  China  ought  to  establish  a  House. 
Against  such  a  proceeding  we  say  that  the  Chinese 
officials  and  people  are  obstructive  as  well  as 
stupid.  They  understand  nothing  about  the  af- 
fairs of  the  world  at  the  present  time,  are  utterly 
ignorant  of  the  details  and  intricacies  of  civil  gov- 
55 


56  China's  Only  Hope 

ernment.  They  have  never  heard  of  the  demand 
for  foreign  schools,  government,  military  tactics, 
and  machinery.  With  such  men  as  members, 
what  a  brilliant  Parliament  it  would  be!  A  vast 
amount  of  good  would  come  from  such  a  hubbub 
as  this  assembly  would  make,  with  perhaps  one 
(sensible  man  in  the  lot,  and  the  rest  a  set  of  fools ! 
Then  the  power  of  adopting  ways  and  means,  etc., 
is  vested  in  the  Lower  House.  Legislation  and 
matters  of  that  kind  are  effected  by  the  Upper 
House.  To  obtain  a  seat  in  Parliament  the  candi- 
date must  possess  a  fairly  good  income.  Chinese 
merchants  do  not  possess  these  qualifications. 
They  are  not  wealthy,  and  the  experience  of  the 
people  in  legislative  matters  is  very  limited.  Now, 
if  any  important  measures  were  to  come  up  for 
discussion,  army  supplies  for  instance,  in  a  Parlia- 
ment constituted  of  these  unqualified  members,  a 
deadlock  would  ensue  at  once.  Discussion  or  non- 
discussion  would  be  all  the  same,  for  these  M.Ps. 
would  be  ignorant  of  the  matter  in  hand ;  they 
would  have  no  knowledge  to  carry  the  appropria- 
tion bill,  and  no  money  to  pay  the  appropriation 
if  the  bill  were  carried.*  A  useless  institution, 
indeed ! 

*The  Viceroy  has  the  idea  that  the  members  of  a 
Parliament  are  drawn  largely  from  the  merchant  class, 
and  that  these  personally  defray  all  the  expenses  in- 
curred in  the  prosecution  of  war. — Translator. 


Centralization  of  Power  57 

Then  it  is  said  that  under  a  republic  the  Chi- 
nese can  establish  mercantile  companies  and  build 
factories.  And  what  is  to  hinder  them  from  doing 
this  under  the  present  Government  ?  There  is  no  . ,*  '  \ 
law  to  hinder  the  launching  of  such  enterprises.  '  '"'  1 
The  truth  is  that  the  merchants  of  China  are 
skilled  in  trickery,  and  we  have  again  and  again 
cases  where  bogus  shares  have  been  put  on  the 
market  to  defraud  people.  If  there  were  no  official 
power  to  restrain  and  punish  these  evil-doers,  the 
company  alone  would  realize  any  profit ;  but 
where  would  the  shareholders  be?  Or  if  a  manu- 
factory was  started,  and  there  were  no  official 
power  to  check  the  counterfeiting  of  trade-marks, 
or  to  quiet  the  brawls  of  the  workmen,  who  would 
intervene  ? 

The  same  may  be  said  about  the  establishment 
of  schools.  Our  laws  have  ever  encouraged  the 
opening  of  colleges,  schools,  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions by  wealthy  literati,  and  why  ask  for  a  re- 
public to  bring  about  this  end?  But  supposing 
these  were  established,  and  there  was  no  official 
power  whatever  which  would  confer  rank  on  the 
graduates  or  grant  their  stipends;  with  no  hope 
of  rank  or  stipend,  who  would  enter  any  institution 
established  on  this  basis? 

Again,  it  is  said  that  we  ought  to  institute  a 


58  China's  Only  Hope 

republic  in  order  to  drill  troops  to  resist  the  en- 
croachments of  foreigners.  But  we  have  no 
arsenals  or  dockyards,  and  if  ships  and  arms  were 
purchased  abroad,  they  could  not  be  brought  into 
a  Chinese  port  if  China  was  a  republic,  for  in  that 
I  case  there  would  be  no  officials,  and  they  could  not 
I  be  classed  as  "  official  material."  An  army  formed 
under  these  conditions  would  be  a  noisy,  cowardly 
flock  of  crows,  utterly  incapable  of  fighting  a  sin- 
gle battle.  But  taking  for  granted  that  this  Fal- 
staff  regiment  could  exert  itself,  who  would  levy 
supplies  if  there  were  no  official  power  ?  And  who 
would  go  security  for  a  foreign  loan  if  there  were 
no  government  ? 

We  confess  that  China  is  not  a  powerful  nation, 
but  the  people  under  the  present  government  get 
along  very  well  by  themselves;  if  this  republic 
is  inaugurated,  only  the  ignorant  and  foolish  will 
rejoice.  For  rebellion  and  anarchy  will  come 
down  upon  us  like  night,  and  massacre  will  seal 
our  eternal  grave.  Even  those  who  establish  the 
republic  will  not  escape.  Murder  and  rapine  will 
hold  sway  in  city  and  village.  The  burning  of 
churches  will  follow,  and  under  the  pretext  of 
protection,  the  foreigners  will  send  troops  and 
men-of-war  to  penetrate  the  far  interior  of  our 
country  and  slice  off  our  territory  to  be  foreign 


Centralization  of  Power  59 

dependencies,  which  we,  perforce,  submissively 
grant.  This  talk  about  a  republic  is  very  agreeable 
to  the  adversaries  of  China.* 

Years  ago  the  Government  of  France  was 
changed  from  a  monarchy  to  a  republic.  The 
common  people  rose  against  the  upper  class,  be- 
cause the  rulers  were  vicious  and  the  Government 
cruel.  Our  Emperor  is  exceedingly  humane,  our 
laws  are  not  oppressive,  and  it  is  folly  to  introduce 
these  democratic  ideas  to  bring  manifold  calami- 
ties upon  China.  We  have  studied  the  philosophy 
of  these  republics,  and  find  that  translators  of 
foreign  books  have  wrongly  interpreted  the  word 
"  republic "  by  Ming  Ch'uen  [literally  "  people 
power  "].  For  the  people  in  the  republics  of  the 
West  only  have  the  right  to  discuss  measures, 
and  not  to  carry  these  measures  into  execution. 
Americans  resident  in  China  inform  us  that  the 
ballot-box  in  their  country  is  greatly  abused  for 
personal  ends,  and  Chinese  admirers  of  the  Ameri- 
can Republic  have  not  minutely  examined  its 
defects. 

There  are  many  to-day  who  have  only  a  smat- 


*  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  foreigners 
would  be  satisfied  if  China  refused  to  pay  unjust  claims, 
on  the  ground  that  the  people  are  unwilling,  or  that 
the  laws  do  not  apply  to  the  case.  The  foreigners 
would  wrench  the  claim  from  us  by  force. 


60  China's  Only  Hope 

tering  of  Western  ways,  but  who  speak  confidently 
of  the  "  power  of  personal  liberty."  This  is  pre- 
posterous. The  idea  is  derived  from  the  books  of 
the  foreign  religion,  which  say  that  Shangti  * 
bestows  upon  each  individual  certain  mental  and 
spiritual  faculties,  and  that  every  man  in  conse- 
quence possesses  intelligence  and  knowledge 
which  enable  him  to  act  freely.  This  means,  say 
the  translators,  that  every  human  being  has  a 
^personal  liberty.  A  greater  mistake  was  never 
made !  All  the  empires  and  republics  of  the  West 
have  governments  of  some  kind,  and  the  duties  of 
officials,  soldiers,  and  workmen  are  clearly  pre- 
scribed. They  have  also  lawyers  and  judges. 
Both  officials  and  people  are  bound  by  the  laws. 
What  the  Court  recommends  can  be  debated  by 
the  Parliament,  but  what  the  Parliament  decides 
can  be  vetoed  by  the  Court.  How  then  can  we 
say  that  men  have  personal  liberty  ?  Every  market 
town  has  its  elder  to  keep  the  peace,  every  band 
of  robbers  its  chief.  So  every  Government  has  its 
rules.  If  each  individual  possessed  this  "  liberty," 
every  family  and  village  would  serve  its  personal 
ends.    The  scholar  would  always  sit  at  meat  and 


*  The  word  used  in  the  Chinese  Classics  to  express 
the  Superior  Being.  Used  by  most  missionaries  for 
God. 


Centralization  of  Power  61 

do  nothing  else,  the  farmer  would  pay  no  taxes, 
the  merchant  would  grow  rich  beyond  bounds,  the 
workman  would  raise  his  own  wages,  the  sans 
culotte  would  plunder  and  rob,  the  son  would  dis- 
obey the  father,  the  student  would  not  follow  the 
teacher,  the  wife  would  not  obey  the  husband,  the 
low  would  not  defer  to  the  high,  the  strong  would 
force  the  weak,  and  mankind  would  soon  be  anni- 
hilated. There  is  no  such  government  on  this 
round  earth.  There  is  no  such  custom  even  among 
the  heathen.  The  English  word  liberty,  which 
means  "just  in  everything  and  beneficial  to  all," 
is  mistranslated.  The  "  Liberty  Club  "  that  now 
exists  in  foreign  countries  should  be  called  the 
"  Debating  Society."  *  If  we  wish  to  make  China 
powerful  and  capable  of  resisting  foreign  nations, 
we  must  cherish  loyalty  and  righteousness  and 
unite  ourselves  under  the  Imperial  dignity  and 
power.  This  is  the  unchangeable  truth  of  the  past 
and  the  present,  both  in  China  and  abroad.  If  it 
be  urged  that  we  give  up  the  idea  of  a  republic, 
but  establish  the  Parliament,  we  reply  that  our 
present  system  is,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  re- 


*  The  Viceroy  is  fairly  adrift  on  this  point,  but  it  is 
refreshing  to  know  that  His  Excellency,  who  speaks 
little  English,  is  trying  his  hand  at  translation. — 
Translator. 


62  China's  Only  Hope 

public  now.  The  ancient  custom  practically  meets 
the  case.  If  the  Government  encounters  difficult 
questions  the  great  ministers  are  called  upon  to 
help  settle  them;  and  the  people  can  apprise  the 
rulers  of  their  needs  and  wants  through  the  ap- 
pointed channels.  The  present  Dynasty  is  open 
and  above-board  in  its  dealings,  and  if  our  Chi- 
nese subjects  are  loving  and  loyal  there  need  be  no 
fear  that  the  Emperor  will  not  find  out  about  them 
and  supply  all  their  real  wants.  The  people  have 
the  right  of  discussing  questions  now,  although 
the  rulers  retain  the  prerogative  of  settling  them. 
This  is  done  with  reference  to  the  best  interests 
of  all.  Why  is  a  Parliament  demanded  then,  when 
we  already  have  this  institution  in  effect?  If  it 
were  established,  pray  where  would  the  members 
.  come  from  ?  Let  us  wait  until  our  educational 
institutions  are  in  full  swing,  and  the  capabilities 
of  our  men  are  tested  by  daily  experience,  and  then 
consider  the  matter.    The  present  is  not  the  time. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    PROPER    SEQUENCE    OF    THINGS 

In  order  to  render  China  powerful,  and  at  the 
same  time  preserve  our  own  institutions,  it  is  ab-  I 
solutely  necessary  that  we  should  utilize  Western 
knowledge.  But  unless  Chinese  learning  is  made 
the  basis  of  education,  and  a  Chinese  direction^ 
given  to  thought,  the  strong  will  become  anar-j 
chists,  and  the  weak,  slaves.  Thus  the  latter  end 
will  be  worse  than  the  former.  The  English  news- 
papers have  recently  been  ridiculing  us  for  not 
reforming,  and  they  state  that  the  teachings  of 
Confucius  lie  at  the  bottom  of  our  inflexible  con- 
servatism. In  this  they  are  greatly  mistaken. 
Those  who  have  translated  the  Four  Books  and 
Five  Classics  into  foreign  languages,  have  missed 
the  true  intent  of  Confucianism  by  accepting  the 
explanations  of  inefficient  Chinese  instructors  who 
know  nothing  whatever  of  our  doctrine.  These 
newspapers  get  their  information  from  these  trans- 
lated books,  and  ridicule  what  they  know  noth- 
ing about.  The  superficial  Chinese  commentaries 
63 


64  China's  Only  Hope 

which  pass  current  for  truth,  the  unconnected, 
non-cohesive  eight-legged  essays,  the  effete  philos- 
ophies, countless  antiquarian  works,  false  but 
high-sounding  poetry  of  China,  are  not  Confucian 
learning.  And  the  stereotyped  rules  of  deport- 
ment which  are  prescribed  by  the  "  master  of  cere- 
monies," and  followed  by  Chinese  officials,  are 
heresies  from  the  school  of  Han  Fei  and  Li 
j  Sze  *  which  had  their  origin  in  the  stormy  times 
of  Ts'in.  The  vulgar  herd  of  Chinese  officials 
who  observe  these  forms,  make  a  virtue  of  ob- 
structiveness  and  cloak  their  laziness  in  matters 
of  vital  importance  by  "  quieting  the  people,"  as 
it  is  called.  On  the  ground  of  "  nourishing  the 
constitution  of  the  state,"  they  continue  their 
malpractices;  and  it  is  said  that  these  constitute 
the  Confucian  government !  We  characterize  this 
system  as  the  teaching  of  Lao  Tsz,t  the  tail-ends 
of  previous  Dynasties,  and  the  device  by  which 
slippery  officials  carry  on  their  trade.  Emphatic- 
ally, it  is  not  that  mode  of  government  recom- 
mended by  our  Great  Sage. 

Confucian  learning  consists  in  the  acquisition 
of  extensive  literature  and  the  strict  observance  of 


*  Officers  under  Emperor  Ts'in    (b.c.  255),  who  is 
cordially  detested  by  all  Chinese. — Translator. 
t  The  founder  of  Taoism. 


The  Proper  Sequence  of  Things      65 

what  is  right ;  in  the  profound  and  careful  medi- 
tation of  the  old  in  order  to  understand  the  new ; 
in  the  making  of  one's  self  the  peer  of  heaven  by 
means  of  perfect  sincerity  and  thus  influencing 
men  in  all  things  for  good. 

Confucian  government  consists  in  rendering 
honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,  and  filial  piety  to 
whom  filial  piety  is  due ;  in  first  providing  a  suffi- 
ciency for  the  people,  and  afterward  instructing 
them ;  in  preparing  for  war  in  time  of  peace,  and 
in  doing  things  at  the  proper  time  and  in  the  proper 
manner.  Confucius  is  equal  to  the  thousand  sages 
and  the  hundred  kings.  He  is  the  co-equal  and 
the  co-worker  with  heaven  and  earth  in  nourish- 
ing and  transforming  men  and  things.  How, 
then,  can  it  be  said  that  he  is  like  the  effete  and 
inoperative  "  scholar  "  of  to-day,  or  in  any  way 
similar  to  the  pictures  drawn  of  him  by  Tao 
Chih  *  and  others  ? 

Our  scholars  to-day  should  become  conversant 
with  the  Classics,  in  order  to  understand  the  real 
intent  of  the  early  sages  and  philosophers  in  es- 
tablishing our  Religion;  and  a  knowledge  of  his- 
tory should  be  acquired  in  order  to  become  familiar 
with  our  Chinese  governmental  methods  and  cus- 
toms in  past  generations.  The  literary  relics  of 
*  A  famous  brigand. 


66  China's  Only  Hope 

sour  schoolmen  should  be  reviewed  to  profit  withal, 
(in  learning  and  literature.  After  this  is  done,  our 
deficiency  in  books  can  be  supplied  from  Western 
(sources,  and  our  government  ills  be  cured  by 
Western  physicians.  In  this  way,  China  can  de- 
rive benefit  from  foreign  countries,  without  in- 
curring the  danger  of  adopting  Western  methods 
that  would  be  prejudicial  to  her  best  interests.  A 
person  who  wishes  to  become  strong  and  well 
must  first  get  up  an  appetite.  This  obtained,  he 
will  enjoy  all  the  good  things  set  before  him.  To 
heal  a  disease  the  doctor  must  first  make  a  diag- 
nosis, and  afterward  prescribe  the  proper  medi- 
cine. In  like  manner  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
?  Chinese  must  be  obtained  before  Western  learn- 
t  ing  is  introduced.*  In  Western  educational  in- 
stitutions a  daily  study  of  the  Bible  is  compulsory. 
This  shows  a  respect  for  the  Christian  religion. 
The  students  in  the  lower  schools  first  learn  Latin 
in  order  to  preserve  what  is  ancient ;  and  in  order 
to  observe  the  proper  sequence  of  things,  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  country's  geography  and  a 
general  acquaintance  with  that  of  other  countries 
is  required.  The  literature  of  their  schools  ex- 
tols the  excellence  of  their  ancient  Emperors'  gov- 

*  Chinese  unversed  in  native  literature  are  not  quali- 
fied to  translate  books. 


The  Proper  Sequence  of  Things      67 

ernments;  and  both  in  public  and  private  the 
notes  of  their  music  swell  forth  in  praise  of  the 
bravery  and  prosperity  of  the  fatherland.  These 
things  manifest  the  patriotism  of  Western  people. 
If  the  Chinese  student  is  not  versed  in  Chinese 
literature  he  is  like  a  man  who  does  not  know  his 
cwn  name.  Attempts  to  govern  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  Chinese,  will  be  like  trying  to  ride  a  horse 
without  a  bridle,  or  steer  a  boat  without  a  rudder. 
Without  a  basis  of  native  literature  the  Chinese 
who  acquires  this  Western  learning,  will  loath  his 
country  in  proportion  as  his  scientific  knowledge 
increases;  and,  although  his  knowledge  may  be 
perfected  to  a  high  degree,  how  can  our  country 
employ  him  if  he  does  not  know  Chinese? 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ATTENDING   TO    WHAT    IS   VITAL 

Confucianism  is  in  danger!  To  rescue  the 
truth  we  must  turn  our  attention  to  Japan  for  the 
present.  To  obtain  help  from  the  past  we  cannot 
but  glance  back  to  the  period  of  the  Warring 

f 'States.  At  that  time  Confucianism  was  crowded 
ut  by  heretical  sects,  because  it  was  said  that  too 
much  time  and  labor  were  required  to  master  the 
subject,  and  men  catered  to  what  was  expedient 
and  in  demand.  So  it  is  at  the  present  time,  and 
it  behooves  us  to  heed  the  injunction  of  Mencius 
to  select  what  is  important  and  leave  the  rest 

What  Confucius  meant  by  extensive  has  a  wider 
significance  in  these  days.  In  his  time  men  could 
become  renowned  by  a  single  attainment.  A  mere 
fraction  of  what  is  required  of  present  officials 
would  suffice  at  that  time  for  the  conduct  of  afr 
fairs,  and  literature  was  meagre.  To-day  our 
'books  are  numberless,  and  one  man  cannot  master 
i  them  in  a  lifetime.  Now  that  the  sea-waves  are 
dashing  upon  our  shores,  unless  we  keep  pace 

68 


Attending  to  What  is  Vital         69 

with  the  times,  and  acquire  Western  learning,  we' 
shall  be  left  in  the  lurch.  But  under  our  present 
curriculum  it  is  impossible  to  do  this.  A  knowl- 
edge of  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  Confucian- 
ism cannot  be  obtained  simply  by  a  few  years  of 
hard  study.  If  only  this  time  is  given  to  Chinese 
learning,  and  Western  education  is  introduced, 
the  former  will  soon  decline;  in  fact  the  Canons  of 
our  Holy  Religion  will  soon  perish.  The  thought 
makes  us  tremble,  and,  although  there  are  no  fires 
and  pits  of  the  Book  Burner  *  now,  still  there  may 
be  the  sorrow  of  the  Liang,  which  nearly  extin- 
guished the  truth  in  the  time  of  Wen  and  Wu. 
And  we  are  still  more  apprehensive  when  we  con- 
sider the  fact  that  in  China  to-day  there  are  a 
great  many  aimless  people  who  really  do  not  care 
a  straw  for  education — especially  Chinese  educa- 
tion— and  who  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  our  litera- 
ture is  a  bugbear,  and  speak  blasphemously  of 
Confucius.  Because  our  tenets  are  said  to  be 
bulky  and  inconvenient,  many  of  the  followers  of 
these  persons  would  rejoice  in  the  complete  ex- 
tinction of  the  system.  We  suggest  a  method  that 
ought  to  satisfy  this  class,  and  at  the  same  time 


*  The  allusion  is  to  the  Emperor  Ts'in,  who  de- 
stroyed all  the  Classics,  and  buried  four  hundred 
scholars  alive. — Translator, 


jo  China's  Only  Hope 

dispel  the  doubts  of  those  who  imagine  they  see 
a  difficulty  in  acquiring  Chinese.  We  reiterate 
the  statement  that,  in  order  to  preserve  our  litera- 
ture, it  is  imperative  to  study  only  that  which  is 
I  important,  and  do  away  with  the  useless  rubbish 
that  has  accumulated  in  the  lapse  of  time.  Fol- 
lowing is  a  course  of  study  which  we  have 
mapped  out,*  and  which  is  more  useful  than  or- 
namental: 

Scholars  of  fifteen  years  and  under,  to  master 
the  Filial  Classics,  Four  Books,  Five  Classics 
(true  text  with  remarks  and  explanations  by  the 
teacher),  "  The  Brief  Survey  of  Chinese  History," 
"  The  Song  of  Astronomy  and  Geography,"  with 
maps,  "  The  General  Literature  of  the  Han,  T'ang, 
and  Sung  Dynasties,"  with  reference  to  style  and 
penmanship. 

From  fifteen  years  upward  the  following :  Clas- 
sics (complete),  general  literature,  history,  moral 
philosophy,  Chinese  government  of  the  present 
Dynasty  within  the  last  one  hundred  years,  with 
especial  reference  to  the  memorials  and  edicts  of 
the  past  fifty  years ;  geography  of  the  present  time, 
embracing  the  physical  condition  of  China — her 
water  -  courses,     products,     provincial     capitals, 

*  The  long  list  of  books  and  commentaries  suggested 
is  not  rendered. — Translator. 


Attending  to  What  is  Vital         71 

canals,  roads,  strategic  points,  coast  and  boundary 
defences,  open  ports  (old  maps  and  geographies 
not  required,  but  may  be  read  at  leisure) — com- 
parative study  of  foreign  geography,  especially 
that  of  Russia,  France,  Germany,  England,  Japan, 
and  America;  a  cursory  survey  of  the  size,  dis- 
tance, capitals,  principal  ports,  climate,  defences, 
wealth,  and  power  of  these  (the  time  required  to 
complete  this  course,  ten  days);  mathematics 
(sufficient  for  a  working  knowledge  in  other 
branches). 

It  may  be  said  that  foreigners  excel  in  mathe- 
matics ;  their  knowledge,  however,  is  not  confined 
to  this  branch.  In  government  affairs,  astronomy, 
geography,  chemistry,  photology,  etc.,  a  certain 
amount  of  mathematical  skill  is  necessary. 


CHAPTER    IX 

CAST    OUT    THE    POISON 

The  Customs'  Returns  for  the  past  few  years 
give  the  value  of  our  imports  at  80,000,000  Taels, 
and  the  exports  at  50,000,000  Taels.  The  balance 
of  thirty  million  Taels  represents  what  has  been 
consumed  in  smoking  the  pernicious  opium  pipe ! 
Assuredly  it  is  not  foreign  intercourse  that  is  ruin- 
ing China,  but  this  dreadful  poison.  Oh,  the  grief 
and  desolation  it  has  wrought  to  our  people !  A 
hundred  years  ago  the  curse  came  upon  us  more 
blasting  and  deadly  in  its  effects  than  the  Great 
Flood  or  the  scourge  of  the  Fierce  Beasts,  for  the 
waters  assuaged  after  nine  years,  and  the  ravages 
of  the  man-eaters  were  confined  to  one  place. 
Opium  has  spread  with  frightful  rapidity  and 
heart-rending  results  through  the  provinces. 
Millions  upon  millions  have  been  struck  down  by 
the  plague.  To-day  it  is  running  like  wildfire. 
In  its  swift,  deadly  course  it  is  spreading  devasta- 
tion everywhere,  wrecking  the  minds  and  eating 
72 


Cast  Out  the  Poison  73 

away  the  strength  and  wealth  of  its  victims.  The 
ruin  of  the  mind  is  the  most  woful  of  its  many 
deleterious  effects.  The  poison  enfeebles  the  will, 
saps  the  strength  of  the  body,  renders  the  con- 
sumer incapable  of  performing  his  regular  duties, 
and  unfit  for  travel  from  one  place  to  another.  It 
consumes  his  substance  and  reduces  the  miser- 
able wretch  to  poverty,  barrenness,  and  senility. 
Unless  something  is  soon  done  to  arrest  this  aw- 
ful scourge  in  its  devastating  march,  the  Chinese 
people  will  be  transformed  into  satyrs  and  devils ! 
This  is  the  present  condition  of  our  country. 

The  Chinese  Government  formerly  prohibited 
the  use  and  importation  of  opium  under  penalty 
of  death,  but  the  prohibition  was  of  no  avail.  It 
was  said  that  the  curse  came  from  Heaven,  and 
the  efforts  of  men  to  escape  it  would  be  futile.  In 
these  days  we  look  upon  the  case  differently. 
There  is  a  remedy  for  the  evil  other  than  the  pro- 
scriptions of  law.  It  is  said  in  the  Analects,  "  If 
the  people  are  to  be  brought  to  a  state  of  order  by 
the  fear  of  punishment,  they  will  seek  merely  to 
escape  the  punishment,  and  have  no  sense  of , 
shame ;  but  if  they  are  reduced  to  order  by  what 
commends  itself  to  their  sense  of  justice,  they  wiW ' 
preserve  the  sense  of  shame  and  at  the  same  time 
be  reformed."    What  the  enactions  of  law  could 


74  China's  Only  Hope 

not  accomplish,  Confucianism  will  effect.  The 
"  Book  of  Rites "  says,  "  If  the  philanthropist 
wishes  to  convert  the  people  and  establish  their 
morals,  it  must  be  done  by  means  of  Learning." 
What  the  Government  could  not  do  by  prohibition, 
can  be  perfected  by  intellectual  and  moral  suasion. 
The  habit  of  smoking  opium  is  generated  by  sloth, 
and  sloth  by  the  want  of  employment.  This  want 
springs  from  ignorance,  and  ignorance  from  hav- 
ing no  desirable  object  of  knowledge. 

The  stock  of  information  possessed  by  Chinese 
literati  is  obtained  from  incomplete  commentaries 
*  and  eight-legged  essays ;  the  knowledge  possessed 
by  officials  is  derived  from  "  precedent."  The 
military  know  nothing  beyond  the  use  of  a  few 
blunt  instruments  and  the  antique  methods  of  an- 
cient warfare  which  suffices  for  all  their  needs. 
The  farmer  has  no  means  of  deriving  any  appreci- 
able profit  from  his  land,  as  he  can  produce  noth- 
ing new ;  the  merchant  cannot  engage  in  distant 
trade,  and  the  traveller  has  no  means  of  easy  and 
rapid  transit. 

Among  the  Chinese  then,  there  is  no  incentive 
to  thought  or  action,  no  intercourse  among  the 
people,  and  the  condition  of  things  has  become 
stagnant  and  effete.  Effeteness  has  begotten  stu- 
pidity, and  stupidity,  lethargy ;  lethargy  has  pro- 


Cast  Out  the  Poison  75 

duced  illness,  and  illness,  waste.  And  these  are 
the  reasons  the  hearts  of  the  Chinese  are  shot  to 
the  core  with  sensuality  and  vice  !  A  renaissance , 
of  learning  would  save  the  world  [China]  by  di- 
recting attention  from  opium  to  more  worthy  ob- 
jects. All  classes,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  in  city 
and  country,  would  have  something  desirable  to 
learn.  Even  those  physically  disqualified  from 
going  abroad  could  read  the  current  literature  of 
the  day,  whilst  the  strong  could  learn  from  travel. 
The  literati  would  become  thoroughly  conversant 
with  the  affairs  of  the  world,  and  the  lower  classes 
would  become  adepts  in  their  trades. 

With  such  attractive  objects  of  knowledge  held 
out  to  our  people,  such  as  the  study  of  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  and  all  therein,  under  modern  ap- 
pliances, who  would  elect  to  change  the  day  into 
the  night  (as  the  wretched  opium-smoker  does) 
and  spend  his  whole  life  on  a  divan,  by  a  lamp, 
sucking  a  filthy  opium  pipe? 

Therefore  we  say,  bring  learning  to  the  front  in 
order  to  remedy  the  opium  evil !  Many  thought- 
ful Chinese  are  apprehensive  that  opium  will 
finally  extirpate  the  race,  and  efforts  are  being 
made  to  mitigate  the  curse.  Anti-opium  societies 
have  been  formed  in  Shanghai  and  Yangchow. 
The  members  of  these  societies  pledge  themselves 


j6  China's  Only  Hope 

to  refrain  from  the  use  of  the  drug  and  to  exercise 
their  power  and  influence  in  repressing  the  habit 
in  others.  Masters  prohibit  their  servants  from 
smoking,  teachers  their  students,  generals  their 
troops,  landlords  their  tenants,  merchants  their 
assistants,  and  foremen  their  journeymen. 

But  this  method,  although  very  commendable, 
does  not  reach  the  large  class  of  wealthy  and  in- 
fluential officials  and  gentry  who  are  addicted  to 
I  the  use  of  opium ;  nor  does  it  affect  the  lower 
orders  who  can  leave  their  temperate  masters,  find 
employment  elsewhere  and  still  continue  the  prac- 
tice. Again,  our  officials  are  always  on  the  move 
from  one  post  to  another;  their  influence  is  not 
permanent,  and  there  is  an  unwillingness  on  their 
part  to  leave  off  opium.  The  plan  of  reformation 
by  learning,  which  we  recommend,  will  only  reach 
men  of  discernment  and  the  younger  class.  The 
foolish  and  wayward  we  will  deal  with  as  best  we 
can.  Confirmed  smokers  will  have  to  be  let  alone 
as  no  power  on  earth  can  save  them.  Rightly  ad- 
ministered it  will  do  much  to  bring  about  the  de- 
sired result.  In  ten  years  the  young  and  wealthy 
men  will  have  grown  up  and  become  established 
in  life  and  qualified  to  control  the  actions  of  their 
subordinates.  In  twenty  years  more,  opium  will 
be  eradicated. 


Cast  Out  the  Poison  77 

In  the  provinces  of  China,  societies  for  the  pro- 
motion of  Learning  have  already  been  extensively 
formed.  We  suggest  an  anti-opium  annex  to 
these  bodies  with  strict  rules  forbidding  admission 
to  all  opium-smokers  under  forty  years  of  age. 
What  grand  results  would  follow  if  each  house- 
hold, each  village,  and  each  institution  of  learning 
in  the  Empire  would  discountenance  the  use  of,  -    I  A 

opium!    Then  would  the  winter  of  our  distress  bei  \s       ,l' 


made  glorious  summer  by  the  coming  of  better  I 
times  for  China.  Now  is  the  time  for  action. 
Confucius  says,  "  Know  what  shame  is,  and  you 
will  not  be  far  from  heroism ;  "  and  Mencius,  "  If 
one  has  not  the  sense  of  shame,  in  what  can  he  be 
equal  to  other  men  ?  "  All  the  countries  of  the 
world  recoil  with  disgust  at  the  idea  of  smoking 
this  vile,  ill-smelling,  poisonous  stuff.  Only  our 
Chinese  people  love  to  sleep  and  eat  with  the 
deadly  drug,  and  in  the  deadly  drug  we  are  self- 
steeped,  seeking  poverty,  imbecility,  death,  de- 
struction. In  all  her  history  China  has  never  been 
placed  in  such  frightful  circumstances.  From 
these  we  might  be  delivered  if  Confucius  and  Men- 
cius could  live  again  to  teach  the  Chinese  a  proper 
sense  of  shame,  and  inaugurate  a  better  condition 
of  things  for  our  country  now  under  the  power  of 
this  awful  curse. 


PART   II 
PRACTICAL 


CHAPTER   I, 

BENEFICIAL    KNOWLEDGE 

Study  begets  knowledge  and  knowledge 
strength.  Confucius  says,  "Although  foolish,  one 
may  still  obtain  a  clear  perception  of  things ;  al- 
though weak,  one  can  become  strong."  There 
never  yet  has  been  a  country  which  became  power- 
ful without  knowledge.  A  man  by  his  own 
strength  alone  cannot  successfully  combat  a  tiger, 
but  by  his  intelligence  he  can  devise  means  to  en- 
trap him.  The  strength  of  a  single  man  is  in- 
adequate to  resist  a  flood,  or  push  down  a  moun- 
tain, but  his  brain  can  suggest  appliances  that  will 
arrest  the  one  and  cleave  the  other.  Knowledge 
is  wonderful ! 

But  is  it  true  that  Western  people  are  intelligent 
and  that  the  Chinese  are  dull?  Let  us  see.  The 
continent  of  Europe  consists  of  many  countries, 
each  confronting  the  other  in  hostile  array,  with 
no  balance  of  power,  and  resembling  a  number  of 
fierce  tigers  herded  together,  with  dripping  jaws,  ' 
each  eagerly  awaiting  an  opportunity  to  tear  and 
81 


82  China's  Only  Hope 

devour.  Every  effort  is  made  by  each  to  in- 
crease its  power,  and  every  muscle  is  strained  to 
the  utmost  to  obtain  some  advantage  over  the 
neighboring  country.  The  rulers  call  into  action 
every  agency  that  money  and  means  can  employ 
for  the  attainment  of  superior  strength,  and 
move  heaven  and  earth  to  accomplish  their  pur- 
pose. Lying  near  together,  the  countries  of  the 
West  are  in  direct  communication  with  each 
other  by  rail  and  boat;  rapid  transit  furnishes 
facile  communication  and  produces  rapid  results. 
Close  and  constant  competition  has  wrought  a 
complete  change  in  the  aspect  of  Europe  within 
the  last  thirty  years.  Propinquity,  armed  and 
watchful,  has  made  European  countries  what 
they  are  to-day:  for  one  will  learn  extensively 
from  a  keen  competitor  without  much  effort.  In 
the  period  of  China's  history  known  as  the 
"  Contending  States  "  [a.d.  220] ,  when  the  coun- 
tries were  amalgamated  into  one  on  the  east  of 
Asia,  our  people  became  very  expert  in  the  art 
of  war,  but  our  neighbors  were  the  wild  tribes 
near  the  sea  and  the  Thibetans  of  the  desert, 
whose  education  and  government  were  inferior 
to  our  own.  The  old  methods  which  China  used 
centuries  ago  to  keep  these  neighbors  under  con- 
trol, and  which  were  adequate  for  those  times, 


Beneficial  Knowledge  83 

have  never  been  changed  except  for  the  worse! 
And  we  are  in  contact  with  the  West!  What 
marvel,  then,  that  we  find  ourselves  inferior  to 
foreigners  in  every  respect.  If  a  proper  inter- 
course with  Europeans  had  begun  in  the  reign 
of  the  Emperor  Kien  Lung  [about  150  years 
ago],  at  which  time  foreigners  were  not  dis- 
dained, the  government  was  stable  and  no  atten- 
tion was  paid  to  effete  counsels;  when  the 
ministers  had  some  discernment,  and  the  country 
was  not  poverty  stricken,  we  feel  confident  that 
an  envoy  should  have  been  despatched  abroad 
to  learn  from  foreign  countries.  Had  this  been 
done  then,  the  envoy  would  have  returned  to  put 
us  on  our  guard  and  to  mortify  our  silly  pride, 
and  we  might  to-day  have  excelled  European 
countries  in  every  way.  What  really  happened? 
Towards  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Tao  Kwang 
[about  1840],  when  we  began  trade  with  the 
West,  we  had  recourse  to  arms,  although  at  that 
time  Europeans  were  at  the  height  of  power  and 
the  Chinese  people  were  weak  and  stupid  !  China 
received  a  crushing  blow.  Still  she  would  not 
awake  from  her  stupidity.  Then  the  T'aiping 
Rebellion  broke  out  and  China  had  no  time  to 
concern  herself  about  foreigners.  It  is  true  that 
Commissioner  Lin  began  to  prepare  some  books 


84  China's  Only  Hope 

relating  to  Western  countries,  but  he  did  not 
finish  them.  Afterwards  Tsen  Wen-cheng  sent 
a  few  students  abroad,  but  they  remained  only 
a  short  time,  and  did  not  complete  their  educa- 
tion. Wen  Wen-chung  established  the  T'ung 
Wen  College  in  Peking,  and  proposed  the  de- 
spatch of  Chinese  consuls  to  different  countries. 
But  he  was  one, — a  man  ahead  of  his  times 
among  many  truculent  and  obstructive  conserva- 
tives. 

China  received  her  first  warning  in  Formosa 
when  the  aborigines  rebelled,  the  second  in  the 
Liu  Ch'ieu  Islands,  the  third  in  Hi,  the  fourth 
in  Korea,  the  fifth  in  Annam  and  Burmah,  and 
the  sixth  in  the  Japanese  war,  and  the  country  is 
now  in  extreme  danger.  The  warnings  have 
been  sent  by  Heaven  to  open  the  eyes  of  the 
Chinese,  and  the  Chinese  officials  and  people  elect 
to  remain  blind,  stubborn,  and  proud  as  of  old. 
What  more  can  we  say? 

At  the  present  time  it  is  imperative  that  Chi- 
nese rulers  should  be  thoroughly  versed  in  gov- 
ernmental policy,  laws,  political  economy,  com- 
merce, etc. ;  that  the  farmer  should  know  about 
the  selection  of  seeds,  the  adaptation  of  soil, 
farming  implements,  and  fertilizers ;  that  the 
workman  should  be  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  best 


Beneficial  Knowledge  85 

tools  and  the  selection  of  materials ;  that  the 
merchant  should  seek  to  discover  new  lands,  to 
manufacture  new  gooos,  and  to  become  acquaint- 
ed with  the  state  of  the  markets  both  at  home 
and  abroad ;  and  that  the  soldier  should  become 
familiar  with  ships,  arms,  forts,  batteries,  tar- 
get-practice, and  other  subjects.  All  this  is  not' 
what  is  called  "  dangerous  knowledge  "  in  the , 
Book  of  Rites,  but  is  really  beneficial  to  a  stable ' 
government,  and  would  contribute  to  education, 
enrichment,  and  strength.  But  China  still  ob- 
serves the  "  old  custom  "  along  these  lines,  and 
is  not  willing  to  strive  after  something  useful, 
because  it  is  novel.  If  we  do  not  change  soon,t_/ 
what  will  become  of  us?  European  knowledge 
will  increase  more  and  more,  and  Chinese  stu- 
pidity will  become  more  dense.  We  shall  be 
marked  as  the  sure  prey  of  the  West ;  foreigners 
will  still  trade  with  us  as  before,  but  China  will 
play  a  losing  game,  and  get  only  chaff  whilst 
her  competitors  garner  the  wheat,  and  we  shall 
really,  if  not  openly,  become  the  slaves  of  West- 
erners. Not  only  this,  the  foreigners  will  suck 
our  blood  and,  worse  than  this,  pare  the  flesh 
from  our  bones.  To  end  the  tragedy  they  will 
swallow  us  down,  body  and  soul,  at  one  great 
mouthful,  and  gloat  over  the  deed ! 


\! 


86  China's  Only  Hope 

y  Knowledge  alone  can  save  us  from  destruction, 
J  and  the  literati  ought  to  take  the  lead  in  the  mat- 
ter and  instruct  the  farmer,  the  workman,  the 
merchant,  and  the  soldier  in  their  different 
spheres;  but  if  the  educated  class  remains  igno- 
rant how  can  this  be  done?  If  the  Chinese  will 
not  learn  the  true  principles  of  government,  all 
else  will  be  useless.  Knowledge  is  power,  and 
although  a  country  may  be  weak,  still,  if  it  pos- 
sess but  a  modicum  of  knowledge,  the  enemy 
will  not  be  able  to  completely  overthrow  it;  al- 
though that  country  may  be  in  danger,  the  race 
will  not  be  extirpated.* 

How  shall  we  obtain  knowledge?  First,  put- 
ting away  all  that  is  *n\ang;  and  by  this  term 
we  mean  stubbornness,  empty  form,  and  pride. 
Secondly,  we  must  get  rid  of  ken,  that  is,  our 
slipshod,  drifting  habit  of  depending  upon  mere 
fortuity  for  success.  Unless  we  free  ourselves 
from  these,  all  that  is  left  for  the  Chinese  is  to 
become 

"  Like  dumb,  driven   cattle," 

*  India  is  a  dependency  of  England;  Siberia  belongs 
to  Russia;  Africa  is  divided  among  England.  France, 
and  Germany.  These  countries  perished  through  ig- 
norance. America  formerly  belonged  to  Great  Brit- 
ain, but  gained  her  independence  through  knowledge. 
Cuba  belongs  to  Spain,  but  still  strives  for  freedom, 
because  she  is  not  hopelessly  stupid. 


Beneficial  Knowledge  87 

or  like  the  grass  that  is  trodden  down  by  man. 
The  strength  of  foreign  countries  and  the  weak- 
ness of  China  have  been  clearly  demonstrated  to 
us  within  the  past  three  years.  The  literati  at 
the  ports  have  been  reading  the  Wan  Kwoh 
Knng  Pao*  studying  certain  works  translated 
by  foreigners,  and  associating  with  the  foreign 
missionaries.  Gradually  we  have  found  out  that 
the  knowledge  possessed  by  the  Chinese  cannot 
compare  with  that  of  Western  people.  Discov- 
ering this,  there  are  some  who  lay  the  sin  of 
withholding  the  truth  from  the  people  at  the 
door  of  our  former  Emperors.  For  the  benefit 
of  these  stupid  people  we  offer  the  following  re- 
marks. It  is  a  mistake  to  assert  that  Chinese 
government  is  founded  on  the  pernicious  teach- 
ing of  Lao  Tsz  which  was  adopted  in  the  turbulent 
reign  of  the  Book  Burner,  and  which  may  be 
stated  in  the  words  of  the  founder  of  Taoism : 
"  Truth  possessed  by  the  government  is  not  to< 
be  employed  in  the  enlightenment  of  the  masses,  j 
but  is  to  be  used  to  darken  their  understanding." 
The  Han  Dynasty  made  every  effort  to  restore 
the  books  that  Tsin  Shi  Hwang  destroyed;  the 
Emperors  honored  the   Six   Classics,  advanced 

*  The  Review  of  the  Times,  a  monthly  magazine  writ- 
ten in  Chinese,  published  in  Shanghai,  and  now  edited 
by  the  Rev.  Young  J.  Allen,  D.D. — Translator. 


88  China's  Only  Hope 

able  and  worthy  men  of  note  in  their  own  do- 
mains, and  sought  to  profit  by  the  good  in  other 
countries.  This  certainly  was  not  "  darkening 
the  understanding  "  of  the  people. 

The  T'ang  dynasty*  [a.d.  618-905]  instituted 
a  system  of  examinations  embracing  a  study  of 
over  fifty  theses,  and  the  Sung  [a.d.  950-1278] 
established  colleges  and  military  academies  in  the 
principal  centres.  In  the  third  year  of  the  Em- 
peror Hung  Wu  the  triennial  examination  halls 
were  opened,  and  in  order  to  pass,  the  students 
were  required  to  understand  writing,  arithmetic, 
riding,  archery,  and  law,  in  addition  to  the 
Classics.  Nor  is  this  befooling  the  people.  From 
the  Sui  Dynasty  to  the  present  time  a  knowledge 
of  poetry,  in  addition  to  the  Classics,  has  been 
required,  simply  to  test  the  capabilities  of  the 
recommended  candidate.  Whilst  we  admit  that 
this  method  has  its  defects,  still  it  is  not  darken- 
ing the  understanding  of  the  people.  And  our 
own  Holy  Dynasty,  whilst  possessing  works  on 
mathematics,  astronomy,  geography,  and  agri- 
culture, has  provided  for  the  translation  of  for- 
eign books,  established  manufactories,  arsenals, 

*The  Hanlin  Yuen,  or  Imperial  Academy,  which 
was  burned  by  the  Boxers  in  their  efforts  to  take  the 
British  Legation  and  which  crowned  the  culture  of  the 
whole  Empire,  dates  from  this  period. 


Beneficial  Knowledge  89 

and  naval  boards,  and  has  frequently  sent  stu- 
dents to  America,  England,  France,  and  Ger- 
many to  study  common  law,  mining,  naval,  and 
army  tactics,  railroading,  etc.  The  Tsung-li 
Yamen  has  printed  books  on  law,  science,  and 
other  subjects,  and  the  Shanghai  office  has  is- 
sued over  seventy  different  works  that  have  been 
translated  from  foreign  sources  and  that  embrace 
in  themselves  a  library  of  universal  knowledge. 

The  Court  has  ever  been  desirous  of  breaking 
the  spell  of  ignorance  by  which  the  people  are 
bound,  and  hopeful  that  the  officials  would  them- 
selves learn  something  that  would  benefit  the 
country;  but  these  have  looked  upon  the  new 
learning  with  contemptuous  disgust  and  refused 
to  modify  their  old  ideas.     Consequently,  there 
has  been  no  widespread  translation  of  books,  and 
no  true  enlightenment  among  the  people.     The 
greater  part  of  those  who  went  abroad  were  not 
bent  on  learning;  hence  no  real  good  came  of 
sending  them  from  home.     In  this  way  these  de- 
linquents recompensed  the  favor  of  the  Court ! 
Just  as  an  ungrateful  and  disobedient  son,  sent 
to  school  by  his  fond  parents  who  spare  no  ex- 
pense and  begrudge  no  outlay  in  providing  an 
abundance  of  good  books  and  excellent  teachers, 
idles  away  his  time,  deceives  his  instructors,  and 


go  China's  Only  Hope 

grows  up  in  ignorance  and  poverty.     In  the  end 
he  accuses  his  father  and  mother  of  neglect! 

Many  of  our  Chinese  no  doubt  extol  foreign 
learning  to  the  skies,  and  even  go  so  far  as  to 
assert  that  our  government  and  customs  do  not 
possess  one  redeeming  feature.  Such  scoffers 
we  cannot  count  as  human  beings.  What !  cast 
reproach  upon  our  own  fathers  and  grandfathers, 
and  impute  fault  to  our  honored,  hoary-headed 
chiliads?  Among  all  our  Chinese  Dynasties  of 
Emperors  and  Kings  has  there  not  been  one 
prince  who  has  reigned  with  conspicuous  benev- 
olence? During  all  these  generations  has  there 
not  been  one  general,  one  minister,  one  scholar 
who  deserved  the  name?  And  pray  what  educa- 
tion could  Western  countries  boast  of  two  thou- 
sand years  ago?  And  what  system  of  govern- 
ment ? 


CHAPTER  II 

TRAVEL 

Travel  abroad  for  one  year  is  more  profitable 
than  study  at  home  for  five  years.  It  has  been 
well  said  that  seeing  is  a  hundred  times  better 
than  hearing-.  One  year's  study  in  a  foreign  in- 
stitution is  better  than  three  years  in  a  Chinese. 
Mencius  remarks  that  a  man  can  learn  foreign 
things  best  abroad;  but  much  more  benefit  can 
be  derived  from  travel  by  older  and  experienced 
men  than  by  the  young,  and  high  mandarins  can 
learn  more  than  petty  officials.  Some  of  the 
ancients  were  fond  of  travel.  Ts'in  Wen-kung 
went  abroad  for  nineteen  years,  visiting  among 
the  feudal  princes,  and  there  were  others  who  did 
the  same  for  the  benefit  of  their  country.  But 
let  us  turn  to  the  present.  The  diminutive  coun- 
try of  Japan  has  suddenly  sprung  into  promi- 
nence. Ito,  Yamagata,  Yanomoto,  Mutsui  and 
others  visited  foreign  countries  twenty  years  ago 
and  learned  a  method  by  which  to  escape  the 
coercion  of  Europe.  Under  their  leadership 
more  than  one  hundred  Japanese  students  were 
91 


Q2  China's  Only  Hope 

sent  to  Germany,  France,  and  England,  to  learn 
foreign  systems  of  conducting  government,  com- 
merce, war,  etc.  After  these  had  completed 
their  course,  they  were  recalled  and  employed 
by  the  Japanese  Government  as  generals  and 
ministers.  When  the  government  was  once 
changed  they  developed  into  the  Heroes  of  the 
Orient. 

Not  only  Japan  but  other  countries  have 
profited  by  the  travels  of  wide-awake  men. 
Peter  the  Great  of  Russia,  feeling  that  the  mili- 
tary resources  of  his  country  were  inadequate, 
went  himself  to  the  dockyards  of  England  and 
Holland  in  the  capacity  of  a  common  workman, 
where  he  labored  and  learned  for  more  than  ten 
years,  thus  equipping  himself  with  qualifications 
and  experience  which  afterwards  revolutionized 
!  Russia  and  made  her  what  she  is  to-day,  the  fore- 
m®st  power  of  the  world. 

France  has  long  desired  to  annex  Siam.  In 
1894  the  relations  between  these  two  countries 
became  somewhat  strained,  and  France  was  on 
the  point  of  gobbling  up  this  morsel,  when  the 
King  of  Siam  suddenly  changed  the  govern- 
mental system  of  the  country  and  sent  his  son 
to  England  to  study  in  the  Naval  Academy. 
Last    year    the    King    himself    visited    Europe, 


Travel  93 

and,  being  acquainted  with  Western  literature 
and  manners,  was  most  cordially  received  by  the 
representatives  of  the  Great  Powers.  His  son, 
who  has  just  graduated  from  the  Academy,  met 
the  steamer  by  which  the  King  travelled  in  the 
Red  Sea  amid  general  rejoicing.  The  gobbling 
process  was  arrested. 

We  have,  then,  these  three  object  lessons: 
First,  the  case  of  Russia,  next  of  Japan,  and  last 
of  Siam.  Cannot  China  follow  the  viam  mediant 
and  learn  a  lesson  from  Japan?  As  the  case 
stands  to-day,  study  by  travel  can  better  be  done 
in  that  country  than  in  Europe  for  the  following 
reasons : 

1.  Japan  lies  nearer  to  us  than  Europe  and 
more  men  can  be  sent  there  for  the  same  amount 
of  money.  2.  The  language,  literature,  and  cus- 
toms of  the  Japanese  are  more  closely  allied  to 
ours  than  those  of  any  European  country.  3.  A 
selection  of  important  Western  books  has  been 
made  from  the  countless  volumes  of  Europe,  and 
these  have  been  translated  into  Japanese.  Our 
students  could  learn  what  is  requisite  in  half  the 
time  by  going  to  Japan,  and  there  is  nothing  bet- 
ter  than   this.*     If   it   were    deemed   advisable, 

*  In  addition  to  the  various  parties  of  students  sent 
last  year  by  the  Viceroys  Chang  Chih-tung  and  Liu 
K'un-yi  and  the  governors  of  Chekiang  and  Kiangsi 


94  China's  Only  Hope 

some  students  could  afterwards  be  sent  to  Eu- 
rope for  a  fuller  course.  But  some  one  may  say, 
"  Did  not  China  try  this  plan  once  without  suc- 
cess? "  We  reply  that  the  students  who  were 
placed  in  American  schools  were  too  young; 
those  in  the  industrial,  military,  and  naval  schools 
of  England,  France,  and  Germany  were  not 
properly  looked  after  by  the  Chinese  officials  in 
charge,  and  after  they  returned  home  no  induce- 
'ment  or  encouragement  was  offered  them  by  the 
Government  to  continue  their  studies.  Under 
these  conditions  how  could  we  expect  any  satis- 
factory results? 

Others  may  argue  that  China  has  sent  plenipo- 
tentiaries abroad  and  they  have  returned  and 
continued  just  the  same  as  other  Chinese  officials. 
We  reply  that  the  selection  of  those  who  went  to 
foreign  countries  was  not  felicitous.  The  fact 
that  our  old  plans  miscarried  is  no  argument 
against  the  adoption  of  new  ones.     Because  we 

to  study  in  Japanese  colleges  and  schools,  as  already 
noted  in  these  columns  at  the  time,  it  is  now  reported 
from  Tientsin  that  Viceroy  Yu  Lu  has  also  decided  to 
send  twenty  of  the  best  scholars  from  the  Tientsin  Col- 
lege to  Japan,  at  the  expense  of  the  Peiyang  Adminis- 
tration. Apropos  of  the  grandson  of  Viceroy  Chang 
Chih-tung,  who  went  at  his  own  expense  to  Japan  last 
year  with  the  Hupeh  contingent  of  students,  word  has 
been  received  from  Tokyo  that  this  young  gentleman 
has  been  courteously  allowed  by  the  government  to 
join  the  Nobles',  or  Peers',  school  there. — North  China 
Daily  News. 


Travel  95 

choked  once  shall  we  abolish  eating?  Did  we 
not  expect  too  much  from  such  a  small  outlay? 
No  attention  whatever  should  be  paid  to  the  per- 
nicious gossip  on  this  subject  by  certain  individ- 
uals who  would  bring  down  dire  calamity  upon 
our  homes  and  upon  our  country.  Study  what 
Mencius  says  about  the  Sages,  the  Emperors, 
Kings,  Ministers,  and  Generals  whose  characters 
were  established  by  repeated  contact  with  danger 
and  difficulty : 

"  Thus  when  Heaven  is  about  to  confer  a  great     \  " 
office  on  any  man,  it  first  exercises  his  mind  with/    \^ 
suffering,  and  his  sinews  and  bones  with  toil.     Itr 
exposes  his  body  to  hunger,  and  subjects  him  to 
extreme    poverty.     It   confounds   his    undertak- 
ings.    By   all   these    methods    it   stimulates   his 
mind,  hardens  his  nature,  and  supplies  his  incom- 
petencies."   A  man  born  of  sorrow  and  adversity 
is  a  true  man.  % 

But  the  Chinese  receive  insult  and  do  not  feel 
shame ;  the  country  is  oppressed,  but  they  feel  no  v 
apprehension ;  the  night  of  anarchy  threatens  to 
shut  down  upon  the  nation,  but  they  perceive  no 
danger  nor  recognize  the  desperate  urgency  of 
the  case.  Inured  to  no  hardship,  and  holding 
merely  a  perfunctory  office,  the  mandarins  con- 
sider the  following  of  others'  examples  a  shame- 


96  China's  Only  Hope 

ful  procedure,  and  look  upon  the  slightest  move- 
ment towards  change  with  consternation.  One 
sets  the  example  and  a  hundred  follow  him. 

Among  our  officials  there  is  not  one  man  of 
discernment;  we  have  no  real  scholars  and  no 
skilful  artisans.  We  are  not  represented  abroad, 
and  at  home  have  established  no  schools.  So 
our  incompetencies  are  not  supplied.  With 
naught  to  stimulate  the  mind,  harden  the  nature, 
or  supply  the  deficiencies,  there  seems  nothing 
left  for  China  but  to  perish  miserably  in  the 
slough  of  despond  and  despair.  And  who  is 
sufficient  for  these  things  ? 


CHAPTER   III 

THE     ESTABLISHMENT     OF     SCHOOLS 

This  year,  at  the  special  examinations  in  Pe- 
king, it  was  found  that  only  a  very  few  could  pass. 
This  was  because  the  themes  for  the  essays  were 
different  from  the  old  regime;  and  although  the 
candidates  had  prepared  themselves  sufficiently, 
as  they  thought,  on  these  subjects,  still  their 
papers  did  not  meet  the  approval  of  the  Emperor. 
Last  year  an  Imperial  decree  ordered  the  estab- 
lishment of  schools  in  each  province  of  China, 
but  the  time  allotted  for  the  accomplishment  of 
this  was  too  limited  to  collect  the  requisite  funds 
and  students,  and  the  plan  only  partially  succeed- 
ed. It  was  something  like  a  workman  seeking 
for  wood  when  he  had  not  even  planted  trees,  or 
a  man  seeking  for  fish  when  he  had  not  dug  the 
pool. 

The  expense  of  going  abroad  for  study  is  nec- 
essarily heavy,  hence  the  students  are  few;  and 
we  have  pointed  out  the  necessity  of  grounding 
all  Chinese  in  native  literature  before  allowing 
97 


98  China's  Only  Hope 

them  to  leave  the  country.  How  much  more 
feasible  it  would  be  to  establish  schools  on  a 
large  scale  in  China !  Let  us  plant  them  in  every 
province,  circuit,  prefecture,  department,  and 
magistracy.  Universities  in  the  provincial  capi- 
tals and  Peking,  colleges  in  the  prefectural  cities, 
and  high  schools  in  the  districts,  projected  on  the 
graded  system,  with  the  understanding  that  the 
lower  institutions  can  be  advanced  to  a  higher 
order  by  private  subscription.  Let  the  curric- 
ulum of  the  high  schools  be  the  Four  Books, 
1  native  geography  and  history  (abridged),  arith- 
metic, geometry,  and  the  elements  of  science; 
that  of  the  colleges,  the  higher  branches  with  the 
Five  Classics,  the  Tung  Kien*  government,  for- 
eign languages,  and  literature;  and  that  of  the 

I  universities  of  a  still  higher  grade. 

\—  To  the  question,  "Where  will  the  money  and 
means  to  launch  such  a  scheme  come  from  ?  "  we 
reply :  Convert  the  present  shu  yucn  \  into  these 
educational  institutions.  We  do  not  need  both. 
If  in  some  places  these  are  poorly  equipped,  or 
meanly  endowed,  the  benevolent  institutions  will 

*  The  name  of  a  history  by  Sze  Ma,  a.d.  1084.  It  is 
in  294  books,  and  covers  the  period  from  the  fourth 
century,  b.c,  to  the  close  of  the  Five  Dynasties,  a.d. 
960. — Giles. 

t  Public  schools  nominally  under  Imperial  super- 
vision.   They  exist  in  all  large  cities. 


The  Establishment  of  Schools        99 

serve  the  purpose,  and  the  money  that  is  now 
used  for  idol  processions,  theatrical  exhibitions, 
and  clan  ancestral  halls,  can  be  put  into  the  school 
fund.  Other  objectors  may  say  that  these  funds 
would  still  be  insufficient.  We  reply :  Then 
convert  the  temples  and  monasteries  of  the 
Buddhists  and  Taoists  into  schools.  To-day  these 
exist  in  myriads.  Every  important  city  has 
more  than  a  hundred.  Temple  lands  and  in-  u 
comes  are  in  most  cases  attached  to  them.  If 
all  these  are  appropriated  to  educational  pur- , 
poses,  we  guarantee*  plenty  of  money  and  means 
to  carry  out  the  plan.  This  could  be  done  very 
well  at  the  present  time.  The  temples,  etc.,  real- 
ly belong  to  the  people  who  contributed  to  their 
establishment.  Buddhism  and  Taoism  are  de- 
caying, and  cannot  long  exist,  whilst  the  Western 
religion  is  flourishing  and  making  progress  every 
day.  Buddhism  is  on  its  last  legs,  and  Taoism 
is  discouraged,  because  its  devils  have  become 
irresponsive  and  inefficacious.  If  there  be  a  re- 
naissance of  Confucianism,  China  will  be  brought  j 
to  order  and  Buddhism  and  Taoism  will  receive 
secure  protection  from  the  Sect  of  the  Learned. 
We  suggest  that  seven  temples  with  their  land,j 
etc.,  out  of  every  ten  be  appropriated  to  educa- 
tional purposes.     The  Emperor  can  satisfy  the 


loo  China's  Only  Hope 

ousted  priests  by  the  bestowal  of  distinctions  and 
rewards  upon  themselves,  or  official  rank  upon 
their  relatives.  By  these  means  our  schools  will 
spring  up  by  the  tens  of  thousands,  and  after 
their  utility  has  been  demonstrated,  the  affluent 
gentry  will  doubtless  come  forward  with  sub- 
scriptions for  a  more  extended  educational  enter- 
prise. 

The  dismantling  of  Buddhist  temples  has  oc- 
curred three  times  in  the  history  of  China  (in 
a.d.  440,  627,  and  846).  This  was  done  because 
the  priests  refused  to  pay  taxes,  and  because  it 
•  was  desirable  to  advance  Taoism.  It  was  effect- 
ed for  private  ends.  Our  plan  is  for  the  public 
good;  it  will  call  out  the  latent  ability  of  our 
scholars,  and  the  priests  will  be  consoled  with  the 
titles.  If  the  gentry  of  each  province  will  take 
the  matter  up  seriously  and  make  a  well-consid- 
ered report  to  the  Emperor,  we  are  certain  that 
His  Majesty  will  approve. 

In  establishing  these  schools  there  are  five  im- 
portant factors: 

First. — The  old  and  new  must  both  be  taught ; 
by  the  old  is  meant  the  Four  Books,  the  Five 
Classics,  history,  government,  and  geography  of 
China;  by  the  new,  Western  government,  sci- 
ence, and  history.     Both  are  imperative,  but  we 


f) 


The  Establishment  of  Schools      101 

repeat  that  the  old  is  to  form  the  basis  and  the 
new  is  for  practical  purposes.  \ 

Second. — The   comparative   study  of  govern-  ' 
ments  and  science,  colleges,  geography,  political 
economy,    customs,   taxes,    military   regulations, 
laws,    and    expositions    come    under    the    head 
of  Western  government.     Mathematics,  mining, 
therapeutics,  sound,  light,  chemistry,  and  elec- 
tricity are  classed  under  Western  science.*     The 
farther  advanced  classes  should  take  up  govern- 
ment,  and   the   lower  classes,    science.     In   the 
high  schools  science  should  first  be  taught,  then 
government.     In   the   colleges   and   universities, 
government   fir>st   and   then   science.     A   special ' 
course  in  science  cannot  be  completed  under  ten 
years.     The   elements  of  government,  etc.,   can 
be  acquired   in  three  years.     On  the  whole,  a-^ 
knowledge  of  government  is  more  necessary  than    i 
a  knowledge  of  science  if  we  are  to  save  the  coun- 
try; but  the  student  of  government  should  ac- 
quire some  knowledge  of  science  in  order  to  carry 
on  the  government. 

Third. — We  must  teach  the  young.  Let  the 
course  of  study  be  adapted  to  the  qualifications 

*  Western  methods  of  dealing  with  criminals  are  ex- 
cellent. Medical  education  along  Western  lines  is 
especially  useful  in  military  matters.  The  student  of 
strategy  should  look  this  matter  up. 


102  China's  Only  Hope 

of  the  student.  Pupils  with  bright  minds  should 
learn  mathematics ;  those  with  a  good  perspective 
sense,  drawing;  those  with  inventive  powers, 
mechanics,  chemistry,  and  manufactures;  those 
with  a  clear  pronunciation,  languages ;  and  those 
of  robust  frame,  athletics.  It  will  be  difficult  for 
men  of  middle  age  and  above  to  take  a  thorough 
course. 

Fourth. — Abolish  the  eight-legged  essay.  Let 
the  new  learning  be  the  test  of  scholarship,  but 
it  include  the  Classics,  history,  geography,  and 
government  of  China  in  the  examinations.  The 
true  essay  will  then  come  out.  If  so  desired,  the 
eight-legged  essays  can  be  studied  at  home;  but 
why  trouble  the  school  with  them  and  at  the  same 
time  waste  time  and  strength  that  can  be  expend- 
ed in  something  more  profitable? 

Fifth. — Abolish  the  scramble  for  money.  Stu- 
dents in  foreign  institutions  are  required  to  pay 
their  own  board  and  tuition.  Salaries  are  never 
paid  to  them.  The  custom  of  paying  the  stu- 
dents, which  obtains  in  our  Chinese  schools,  was 
originally  good  in  the  intention  to  aid  the  indi- 
gent. It  was,  however,  mistaken  policy,  for 
many  students  now  come  merely  for  the  loaves 
and  fishes  and  create  a  deal  of  trouble  if  their 
demands  are  not  satisfied.     This  class  of  men  are 


The  Establishment  of  Schools      103 

devoid  of  understanding,  and  their  malpractices 
tend  to  overturn  the  school  system.  The  abuse 
of  this  benevolent  scheme  of  eleemosyjiarv-^edu- 
cation  has  entailed  literary  piracy,  plagiarism,, 
and  the  production  of  pseudonymous  essays. 
Thus  an  originally  good  principle  has  been 
abused  by  sordid  motives. 

We  cannot  adopt  the  foreign  plan  at  once,  but 
can  change  our  old  methods  of  giving  stipends 
to  students,  provide  only  board  and  tuition,  and 
grade  them  according  to  the  Northern  Sung 
system,  with  prizes  for  the  best.  We  are  sure 
this  method  will  grow  in  popular  favor  as  soon 
as  its  advantages  are  perceived,  and  that  profit- 
able knowledge  and  useful  acquirements  will 
abound  more  and  more.  We  need  not  feel  dis- 
couraged if  there  is  a  dearth  of  efficient  teachers 
for  these  institutions  at  the  outset.  This  diffi- 
culty will  soon  be  obviated.  This  year  there  are 
numberless  books  which  treat  of  foreign  sub-e- 
jects being  published  in  Shanghai.  Any  man  of 
understanding  can,  by  the  use  of  these,  equip 
himself  in  three  months  to  teach  in  the  higbK 
schools.  In  a  couple  of  years  the  colleges  will 
graduate  men  who  are  also  qualified  to  teach. 
The  faculties  of  the  universities  will  perhaps  be 
incomplete  at  first,  but  a  few  good  men  in  each 


104  China's  Only  Hope 

province  can  be  found  who  will  serve  for  three 
years,  when  there  will  be  an  abundance  of  useful 
literature  and  consequently  better  equipped  in- 
structors.    There  need  be  no  fear  on  this  score. 

If  it  is  found  impossible  to  establish  schools  on 
such  an  extensive  scale  at  once,  let  those  who 
;  feel  so  inclined  form  educational  associations  for 
\  mutual  help.  Chinese  literary  men  hold  to  the 
old  custom  of  establishing  societies  for  various 
ends.  There  are  the  "  Essay  Clubs,"  the  benevo- 
lent institutions  for  freeing  living  creatures  and 
respecting  written  paper,  the  "  Poetic  Associa- 
tions," the  "Convivial  Clubs,"  "Chess  Clubs," 
and  "  Domino  Clubs."  Who  could  object  to 
forming  Educational  associations  that  would  ben- 
efit the  people  and  shape  the  destiny  of  the  coun- 
try? The  ancients  tended  swine  in  the  fields 
"and  traded  on  the  streets ;  still  they  thoroughly 
learned  the  Classics.  Cannot  our  wealthy  peo- 
ple who  have  capacious  houses  and  a  wealth  of 
literary  matter  imitate  their  illustrious  example 
and  learn  too?  Begin  with  two  or  three  schools 
and  gradually  increase  the  number  to  ten,  then 
to  a  hundred.  If  a  few  of  them  become  inter- 
ested in  the  matter,  their  influence  for  good  will 
be  felt  far  and  wide.     Formerly  Yuen  Poh  of  the 


The  Establishment  of  Schools 


105 


Lu  Kingdom  perished  because  he  was  unwilling 
to  learn,  and  Keu  Chien  of  Yueh  flourished  by 


».-.*/ 


*v  a/ 

reason  of  ten  years  of  instruction.     The  fate  of]  y^'j"    , 
China  depends  upon  the  literati  alone. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE     STUDY    OF     REGULATIONS 

The  educational  institutions  of  every  foreign 
country  may  be  divided  into  technical  and  col- 
legiate.    The  former  teach  subjects  that  are  very 
profound    and    abstruse,    embracing    inventions 
unknown  to  the  ancients  and  the  discovery  of 
new  appliances  now  hidden  from  the  world.     It 
thus   possesses   an   unlimited   curriculum.  *  The 
collegiate  course  is  regular  and  the  curriculum 
definite.     The  student  graduates  in  three  or  five 
years,  as  the  case  may  be,  not  alone,  but  consti- 
tuting one  of  a  class  who  have  been  under  the 
\  same   professors   and    studied   the   same   books. 
These  classes  are  started  with  a  number  of  stu- 
dents.    If  some  fail  to  pass  their  examinations, 
through  indolence  or  sickness,  they  are  dropped. 
If  others,  through  diligence,  master  their  allotted 
tasks,  they  are  not  allowed  to  take  up  lessons  out- 
ride the  regular  course  of  the  class.     The  stu- 
dents with  inventive  genius  go  into  one  class  and 
1 06 


The  Study  of  Regulations  107 

the  dullards  into  another.  No  branch  is  taken 
up  without  maps  and  illustrations;  no  depart- 
ment without  mathematics ;  and  no  recitations 
without  ample  elucidations  of  the  subject.  There 
are  no  students  who  are  not  given  the  opportu- 
nity of  understanding  what  they  study,  and  no 
professors  who  are  not  versed  in  their  depart- 
ments. Thus  the  latter  are  not  harassed,  and 
the  former,  who  are  made  to  understand  that  the 
art  of  explanation  is  learning,  are  not  embittered. 

By  knowing  what  institution  a  man  comes 
from,  it  can  be  discovered  at  once  what  branches 
he  has  studied,  and  by  knowing  how  many  years 
he  continued  in  the  institution  one  can  discover 
how  far  he  has  progressed  in  his  studies.  Civil 
and  military  officers,  farmers,  merchants,  arti- 
sans, all  classes  and  conditions  of  men  go  to 
school.  The  lower  schools  teach  the  elementary 
branches,  astronomy,  geology,  drawing,  arith- 
metic, languages,  drill,  etc.  The  higher  schools, 
algebra,  logarithms,  chemistry,  therapeutics,  gov- 
ernment; and  the  languages  of  all  countries  are 
taught  in  schools  of  a  still  higher  grade.  These 
institutions  grade  the  students  into  two  or 
three  classes  according  to  their  mental  equip- 
ment. 

If  the  government  wishes  men  of  ability  for 


108  China's  Only  Hope 

certain  posts,  it  selects  them  from  these  institu- 
tions. The  men  are  qualified  to  fill  these  ap- 
pointments and  hold  diplomas  to  this  effect. 
The  course  of  study  is  marked  out  by  experienced 
professors,  and  the  Government  School  Board 
approves.  The  prospectus  is  distributed  among 
the  people ;  several  years  afterwards  it  is  revised 
or  corrected  to  suit  the  needs  of  the  times. 
These  institutions  are  founded  mostly  by  wealthy 
alumni,  but  in  part  by  the  Government.  The  stu- 
dents pay  their  own  expenses  and  expect  to  get 
an  education — not  loaves  and  fishes ;  the  poorer 
pay  less  than  the  rich.  The  money  subscribed 
by  individuals  is  used  for  buildings,  professors' 
salaries,  books,  and  apparatus — not  for  stipends 
for  the  students.*  Thus  those  who  matriculate 
see  the  advantage  of  the  course  and  are  willing 
to  pay  for  it.  After  graduating  in  their  depart- 
ment, whether  official,  merchant,  artisan,  or 
what  not,  they  possess  the  means  of  making  a 
living,  and  are  not  cast  out  on  the  world  to  starve. 
Consequently,  in  every  country  there  are  myriads 
of  high  schools,  thousands  of  colleges,  and  hun- 
dreds of  universities,  whose  expenses  are  not 

*  There  are  also  a  few  free  schools  for  very  poor 
children,  which  teach  the  elementary  branches  at  a 
small  expense  to  the  pupils. 


The  Study  of  Regulations  109 

paid   by   the   officials,   or   defrayed   entirely   by 
wealthy  individuals.     The  methods  of  establish- 
ing these  institutions  are,  generally  speaking,  the 
same  in  all  the  countries  of  the  world,  and  we  I 
suggest  that  they  be  adopted  also  by  China. 


CHAPTER   V 

THE    EXTENSIVE    TRANSLATION    OF    BOOKS 

To  the  plan  of  employing  foreigners  as  in- 
structors in  our  schools,  which  has  obtained  for 
the  past  ten  years,  we  offer  the  following  objec- 
tions :  First,  these  men  do  not  speak  Chinese, 
and  hence  are  obliged  to  use  interpreters.  These 
are  of  a  low  grade  and  can  speak  only  the  words 
of  the  instructor  without  apprehending  the  sub- 
ject-matter of  instruction.  Mistakes  and  errors, 
then,  are  easily  and  rapidly  generated;  for,  in 
case  some  new  idea  is  to  be  imparted  to  the  stu- 
dent which  the  interpreter  does  not  understand, 
•  he  will  either  omit  the  explanation  altogether  or 
throw  in  his  own  meaning  in  order  to  save  his 
face.  Second,  admitting  that  there  are  some 
qualified  interpreters,  we  submit  that  the  foreign 
method  of  instruction  is  slow.  The  instructors 
meet  their  classes  only  five  or  six  hours  per  diem 
and  then  teach  but  one  or  two  branches.  And 
they  do  not  exhaust  the  fountain  of  their  knowl- 


Extensive  Translation  of  Books     1 1 1 

i 
edge,  but  dribble  it  out  to  make  it  last  longer. ' 

It  requires  a  whole  year  to  complete  a  course  of  , 
addition  and  subtraction.  But  admitting  that 
there  are  some  foreigners  not  averse  to  labor, 
their  influence  is  circumscribed,  because  they  are 
so  few.  They  require  high  salaries,  and  the 
Chinese  who  have  studied  under  them  do  not 
amount  to  much,  because,  as  Chu  Hsi  puts  it, 
"  what  was  learned  did  not  stick  in  the  memory." 
The  defects  of  the  present  system  then  are :  First,' 
the  inferior  quality  of  the  instruction  given ;  and, 
second,  its  narrow  and  limited  extent. 

The  same  objections  hold  against  employing 
foreigners  as  superintendents  in  our  manufac- 
tories,  etc.  In  the  San  Tai  (1900  B.C.),  the 
Chow,  Han,  and  Sui  Dynasties,  there  were 
schools  of  languages  in  China.  Wei  Yuen,  of 
Shao-yang,  during  the  reign  of  Tao  Kwang, 
translated  all  the  newspapers  and  books  of  for- 
eign countries  into  a  work  called  the  "  History 
of  the  Maritime  Countries."  This  was  the  first 
effort  made  to  give  the  Chinese  a  knowledge  of 
Western  governments.  Fung,  the  Shanghai  Tao- 
tai,  established  a  school  of  languages  and  trans- 
lated many  books  during  the  reign  of  Tung  Chi 
[Emperor  before  Kwang  Sii],  and  took  the  first 
step  towards  giving  the  Chinese  an  insight  into 


U2  China's  Only  Hope 

foreign   learning.     These   two   men    were   hero 
pioneers. 

If  Chinese  students  first  learn  their  own  lan- 
guage thoroughly,  master  the  Western  tongue, 
and   then  finish  with   a   foreign   teacher,   inter- 
course will  be  easy  and  safe.     Without  the  for- 
eign teacher  it  will  be  better  still  if  the  students 
use  the  "  language  without   a  teacher "   books. 
In  the  making  of  treaties,  the  carrying  on  of  dip- 
lomatic  correspondence,    etc.,   the    Chinese   and 
foreign  texts  often  disagree.     In  that  case  the 
[foreign  text*  is  taken  as  the  true  interpretation, 
land  we  are  often  befooled.     This   is  a  legacy 
\  which  entails  untold  injury  upon  China. 

We  have  met  many  foreigners  who  are  thor- 
oughly versed  in  the  language  and  literature  of 
our  country,  but  we  have  seen  few  Chinese  who 
know  much  about  Western  literature ;  although 
they  often  meet  face  to  face  with  foreigners,  they 
do  not  seem  to  grasp  their  full  meaning  in  conver- 
sation.   In  this  way  many  opportunities  are  lost 

and  much  business  is  delayed.     Generally  speak- 

I 

ing,  English  is  the  language  of  shopkeepers,  and 
i 

French  is  the  language  of  diplomacy. 


* 


\ 


*  Article  L.  of  the  English  Treaty  with  China  stipu- 
lates that,  whenever  there  is  a  doubt  as  to  the  meaning 
of  a  phrase,  the  English  text  of  the  treaty  is  to  be 
taken  as  the  true  interpretation. — Translator. 


Extensive  Translation  of  Books     113 

The  Japanese  have  made  important  selections 
from  all  the  books  of  the  West  and  translated 
them  into  their  own  language.  By  learning 
Japanese  we  can  possess  ourselves  of  this  store 
of  information  without  troubling  about  Western 
languages. 

Translators  may  be  divided  into  first-class, 
middling,  and  inferior.  The  Chinese  who  have 
a  knowledge  of  a  few  polite  phrases  and  of  the 
day-book  and  ledger  only,  are  not  taken  into  the 
account.  The  first-class  are  those  who  can  trans- 
late any  document  or  book,  say  on  law,  into  Chi- 
nese. The  middling  are  those  who  can  translate 
along  one  line  only,  say  astronomy  or  mining. 
The  inferior  are  those  whose  knowledge  is  limited 
to  common  despatches  and  correspondence,  and 
who  know  the  names  of  objects.  It  requires  ten 
years'  study  to  become  a  first-class  translator. 

But  we  cannot  wait  ten  years  for  capable  trans- 
lators to  meet  the  emergency;  even  if  we  could, 
the  men  would  be  untried  as  officials,  and  perhaps 
their  bent  of  mind  would  be  unsatisfactory  after 
they  had  qualified  themselves  as  translators.  We 
must  put  the  useful  books  of  the  West  into  Chi- 
nese and  scatter  them  far  and  wide  among  those 
who  are  ignorant  of  Western  languages,  among 
the  wide-awake  officials,  the  impecunious  literati, 


114  China's  Only  Hope 

the  scholars  replete  with  Confucian  lore,  the  mer- 
chants, workmen,  the  old  and  the  young,  to  be 
used  and  appropriated  by  them  in  their  different 
spheres.  There  are  three  ways  in  which  this 
can  be  done: — I.  By  establishing  numerous 
schools  of  languages  in  each  province.  2.  By 
requiring  the  Ministers  and  Consuls  abroad  to 
translate  the  important  books  of  the  country  in 
which  they  reside  into  Chinese.  3.  By  encour- 
aging the  wealthy  and  influential  booksellers  in 
Shanghai  to  print  more  of  the  works  they  have 
been  issuing.  There  are  many  philanthropic 
men  who  have  done  much  work  in  translating, 
who  have  won  a  great  reputation,  and  wrought 
much  benefit  to  China.  Let  us  encourage  these. 
.  Wang  Chung-ren  has  remarked :  "  A  man  is 
I  like  Rip  Van  Winkle  when  he  possesses  a  knowl- 
' .  i  edge  of  the  past,  but  not  of  the  present ;  possess- 
ing a  knowledge  of  the  present  and  not  of  the 
past,  he  is  deaf  and  blind."  Let  us  alter  this  a 
little  and  say:  A  man  who  has  a  knowledge  of 
foreign  ways  and  is  ignorant  of  Chinese,  is  be- 
come a  brute ;  possessing  a  knowledge  of  Chinese 
and  not  of  the  West,  he  is  deaf  and  blind,  for  in 
this  event  should  the  foreigner  overcome  him, 
he  will  not  believe  it ;  should  he  devise  means  for 
his  overthrow,  he  will  not  perceive  it;  should  he 


Extensive  Translation  of  Books     115 

warn  him,  he  will  not  hear;  should  he  be  swal- 
lowed, he  will  not  know  it;  should  the  foreigner 
ruin  him,  he  will  not  see  it.  If  this  is  not  being 
blind  and  deaf,  what  is  it?  Let  the  young  men 
who  have  not  yet  entered  upon  their  official 
career  study  foreign  languages,  and  not  be  dis-  It     -,' 

couraged  at  the  outset.     The  older  men  can  learn  vT     ) 

from  translated  books.     It  is  more  expedient  toA^r      } 
learn  Japanese   and  translate   their   books.     To   a  J^ 
sum    up:  To    learn    from    a    foreign    instructor    . 


[with  an  interpreter]  is  not  so  good  as  becoming 
conversant  with  a  foreign  language  itself;  and  to 
translate  European  books  is  not  so  profitable  as 
translating  Japanese  books. 


CHAPTER   VI 

NEWSPAPER    READING 

Extolling  the  excellency  of  the  T'ung  Rec- 
ords, Li  Han  says:  "  If  a  man  acquaints  himself 
with  them  he  will  know  all  about  the  world  with- 
out leaving  his  own  door,  and  be  able  to  fathom 
the  disposition  of  the  people  without  becoming 
an  official."  This  saying  can  be  applied  to 
the  Chinese  and  foreign  newspapers  of  the  pres- 
ent. Although  congenial  friends  may  be  few, 
one  can  still  receive  instruction  through  the 
medium  of  the  press. 

Foreign  countries  abound  with  myriads  of 
periodicals,  official  and  popular  magazines,  filled 
with  information  about  governments,  commerce, 
new  inventions,  the  army  and  navy,  and  every- 
thing valuable.  Every  country  is  like  one  fam- 
ily, and  the  people  of  the  world  are  thus  brought 
into  close  relation.  In  the  time  of  Commis- 
sioner Liu,  of  Canton,  the  newspapers  published 
abroad  were  read  with  his  encouragement,  but 
since  his  time  no  one  has  imitated  his  good  ex- 
116 


Newspaper  Reading  117 

ample.    In  Shanghai,  newspapers  have  nourished 
since  die  time  of  T'ung  Chi,  but  they  have  here- 
tofore been  of  an  inferior  sort,  dealing  only  with 
paltry  mercantile  matters  and  quoting  very  little 
from  reliable  foreign  contemporaries.     The  Tao- 
tai  of  Shanghai  now  translates  matters  of  present; 
interest  every  month  and  forwards  the  informa-| 
tion  to  the  Tsungli  Yamen  and  the  Superintend- 
ents of  Trade  for  the  Northern  and   Southern 
Ports.  But  the  Taotai  cuts  out  all  the  disagreeable 
things  and  sends  nothing  that  could  offend  or  be 
distasteful  to  the  Chinese  Government;  and  what 
he  does  translate  is  stale  (two  months  old)  before 
it  reaches  its  destination.     This  is  little  better 
than  nothing!  In  1895  certain  liberal-minded  men 
in  Shanghai  set  up  printing  presses  and  issued 
much  reliable  information  translated  largely  from 
foreign   newspapers.     Their   example    was    fol- 
lowed by   other  public-spirited  men  in  all  the 
provinces.     Although  the  papers  they  published 
were  not  all  that  could  be  desired,  they  opened 
the  eyes  of  the  Chinese,  waked  them  up  from 
their  stupor,  and  tore  away  the  key  of  knowledge 
from  the  grasp  of  the  blind.     Then  the  bigoted 
scholars    and    the    greenhorns    alike    discovered 
that  there  are  other  countries  besides  China,  and 
that   impractical  bookworm,   the   befogged   and 


n8  China's  Only  Hope 

besmoked  literatus,  found  out  for  the  first  time 
that  there  is  a  present  as  well  as  a  past.  It  is  a 
mere  quibble  to  say  that  these  newspapers  are 
not  an  inspiration  and  impulse  to  every  man  of 
common  sense. 

To-day  the  foreigners  are  harassing  China, 
and  disturbances  at  home  and  abroad  are  peril- 
ously increasing.  Matters  of  diplomacy,  war, 
etc.,  which  our  high  officials  dare  not  speak  about 
above  a  whisper,  are  proclaimed  aloud  from  the 
housetop  by  the  foreign  newspapers,  so  that  the 
whole  world  hears.  And  not  only  our  affairs, 
but  those  of  Japan,  Europe,  and  all  countries; 
the  alliances,  ruptures,  battles,  annexations,  de- 
signs, plots,  etc.,  are  published,  so  that  one  can 
see  all  sides  of  a  question  and  be  on  his  guard. 
This  is  an  admirable  arrangement,  and  we  thor- 
oughly indorse  the  papers  as  being  of  much 
advantage  to  one's  country.  But  newspapers 
possess  a  better  advantage  still.  They  show  us 
our  complaints.  This  is  the  best  of  all.  Duke 
Huan,  of  T'si,  died  because  he  did  not  know  what 
his  sickness  was,  and  Ts'in  perished  through  ig- 
norance of  his  faults.  The  blind  following  of 
custom  by  the  people  for  the  most  part  fixes  the 
destiny  of  a  country.  We  do  not  perceive  our 
own  faults,  and  if  we  did,  would  not  dare  to  speak 


Newspaper  Reading  119 

unreservedly  about  them.    Every  way  seems  just 
in  our  own  eyes,  but  our  strong  neighbors  come 
and  search  us  out.     If  the  Emperor  and  officials 
of  our  country,  who  read  the  newspapers  and  are    j 
exercised  thereby,  should  fear  the  consequences    v 
of  inaction  and  reform,  would  this  not  make  for 
China's    welfare?     Readers    of    foreign    news- 
papers  perceive   at   once   that   the    Chinese   are 
unmercifully   abused.     We    are    compared    with 
drunkards   and   rotten   stuff.     The   partition   of 
our  country  by  foreigners,  and  the  question  of 
who  can  seize  the  largest  portion,  are  freely  dis- 
cussed.    This  discussion  arouses  the  ire  of  every 
patriotic   Chinese.     But    stop.     Let   us   put   the 
question:  Is  it  wise  to  be  angry?     Ought  we  not  i 
to  court  the  acquaintance  of  those  who  frank-  ' 
ly    tell    us    our    faults    as    Chu    Ko    did ;    and 
following    the    example    of    Chow    Tsz,    bewail 
the   diseases  that  are   eating  away   the   life   of 
China?     An    ancient    saying    runs:  "The    wise 
man  holds  on  to  the  friends  who  are  willing  to 
criticise  him."    Let  us  dress  this  in  modern  ap- 
parel thus :  "  The  wise  country  holds  on  to  its  / 
critical  neighbors." 


CHAPTER  VII 

REFORM     OF     METHODS 

The  terminus  a  quo  of  reform  is  the  Court; 
the  terminus  ad  quern  is  the  people.  Changes  of 
method  must  first  be  made  by  the  Emperor  and 
afterwards  be  carried  out  by  his  subjects.  At- 
tempts at  reform  have  been  made  within  the  past 
thirty  years.  When  Tseng  Wen-cheng  was  Vice- 
president  of  one  of  the  Six  Boards  he  apprised 
the  Emperor  of  certain  useless  and  cumbersome 
„ requirements  in  the  Hanlin  Examinations.  Had 
he  persisted  in  his  attempts  after  becoming  Prime 
Minister,  the  Hanlin  Academy  in  the  lapse  of 
these  three  decades  would  have  turned  out  some 
men  of  note.  But  we  have  never  heard  of  his 
doing  this.  Why?  Because  at  that  time  the 
Government  had  just  put  down  the  Taiping  Re- 
bellion, and  Tseng  was  in  dread  of  the  envy 
of  certain  "  present-day  worthies."  Then  Wen 
Wen-chung  opened  the  T'ung  Wen  College  and 
published  books  on  International  Law,  etc.,  for 
the  information  of  the  public.     His  efforts  would 


Reform  of  Methods  121 

have  produced  at  least  some  up-to-date  men  had 
they  not  been  frustrated  by  a  score  of  hyper- 
cautious,  self-opinionated  old  "  grandmothers  " 
who  laid  their  heads  together  and  decided  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  Tung  Wen  College,*  the 
Tsung-li  Yamen  [then  just  established],  or  the 
New  Learning.  And  why,  pray?  Because  their 
better  judgment  had  been  utterly  subverted  by  a 
mawkish  pack  of  lying  Confucianists.  How 
sad  and  distressing  it  is  to  contemplate  the  fact 
that  the  counsels  of  such  loyal,  virtuous,  and 
powerful  champions  as  Tseng  and  Wen,  were 
overthrown  by  "  talk,"  and  that  no  one  since  then 
has  staked  his  reputation  on  such  enterprises? 

Tso  Tsung-t'ang  established  a  naval  school 
in  Fukien  and  foreign  cloth  mills  in  Kansuh. 
Shen  Wen-shu  also  established  schools,  and,  con- 
jointly with  the  Viceroys  at  Tientsin  and  Nan- 
king, floated  the  China  Merchants'  Steam  Navi- 


*  The  T'ung  Wen  College,  or  College  of  Combined 
Literature,  was  established  in  1869  at  Peking  by  the 
Chinese  Government.  Its  prime  object  is  to  train 
young  men  for  the  public  service,  especially  as  agents 
of  international  intercourse.  Rev.  W.  A.  P.  Martin, 
D.D.,  the  distinguished  author  of  "  A  Cycle  of  Cathay  " 
and  other  well-known  works,  has  been  the  President 
of  this  institution  since  its  establishment. 

The  Tsung-li  Yamen,  or  Office  of  General  Control, 
was  established  about  thirty-five  years  ago.  It  is  the 
medium  of  communication  between  foreign  govern- 
ments and  the  Chinese  Emperor. — Translator. 


122  China's  Only  Hope 

gation  Company.  Ting  Wen-ch'eng  built  arsenals 
in  Shantung  and  Szechuen.  These  were  clean- 
handed and  public-spirited  men,  and  they  lived 
at  a  time  when  the  country  was  at  peace  (from 
the  middle  of  the  reign  of  T'ung  Chi  to  the  open- 
ing years  of  Kwang  Su).  Unfortunately,  how- 
ever, at  that  time  China  swarmed  with  individ- 
uals having  noses  keen  to  smell  out  "  heresy," 
and  if  these  reformers  had  any  successors,  We,  the 
Viceroy,  are  not  aware  of  it.  Those  who  came 
after  either  closed  the  doors  of  these  institutions, 
or  so  crippled  them  by  reducing  their  running 
expenses,  that  they  have  produced  no  practical 
benefit  to  the  country  worth  mentioning. 

But  there  are  certain  principles  in  China  that 
are  immutable.  We  cannot  change  the  Obliga- 
tions and  the  Records,  but  we  can  change  the 
administration  of  laws ;  we  cannot  change  the 
Holy  Religion,  but  we  can  change  our  imple- 
ments and  weapons  of  war ;  we  cannot  change  the 
sense  of  right,  but  we  can  change  the  modus 
agcndi  of  the  workmen  and  artificers.* 

In  this  Dynasty  there  have  been  many  innova- 
tions   introduced    in    spite    of    opposition.     The 

*  The  Viceroy  here  reverts  to  the  past  and  proves 
from  the  Yih  King,  Shit  King,  Ch'un  Ch'icu,  and  other 
ancient  works,  that  certain  changes  were  not  only  de- 
sirable, but  obligatory  and  practicable. — Translator. 


Reform  of  Methods  123 

men  who  stoutly  resisted  the  introduction  of 
steamboats  and  railways  would  now  be  the  very 
first  to  resist  their  abolishment. 

The  anti-reformers  may  be  roughly  divided  ^ 
into  three  classes : 

First,  the  conservatives,  who  are  stuck  in  the 
mud  of  antiquity.  The  mischief  wrought  by 
these  obstructionists  may  be  readily  perceived. 

Second,  the  slow  bellies  of  Chinese  officialdom, 
who  in  case  of  reform  would  be  compelled  to 
bestir  themselves,  and  who  would  be  held  respon- 
sible for  the  outlay  of  money  and  men  neces- 
sary for  the  changes.  The  secret  machinations 
of  these  befuddled,  indolent,  slippery  nepotists 
thwart  all  schemes  of  reform.  They  give  out 
that  it  is  not  "  convenient,"  and  in  order  to  cloak 
their  evil  deeds  rehearse  the  old  story,  the  usual 
evasive  drivel  about  "  old  custom."  And  if  we 
attempt  to  discover  what  this  precious  old  custom 
in  the  matter  of  education  and  government  is, 
there  will  be  remonstrances  on  all  sides.  Old 
custom  is  a  bugaboo,  a  password  to  lying  and 
deceit.     How  can  any  one  believe  it  ? 

Third,  the  hypercritics. 

We  admit  that  the  employment  of  foreign 
methods  in  China  has  not  been  a  success,  but  we 
cannot  admit  that  this  is  due  to  the  methods. 


124  China's  Only  Hope 

The  promoters  of  these  foreign  schemes  showed 
no  enterprise  except  to  further  their  own  personal 
and  private  ends.  The  Admiralty  plan  failed  be- 
.  cause  we  were  too  niggardly  in  our  appropria- 
tions and  the  time  was  not  opportune.  The  stu- 
dents and  court  officials  who  were  sent  abroad 
were  recalled  because  the  Government  had  no 
settled  course  of  action,  and  hence  no  lasting 
benefit  accrued  to  China.  For  this,  Mother 
S  Grundy,  and  not  the  method,  is  to  be  condemned. 
Finally,  we  bought  the  guns  and  machinery  be- 
fore we  had  the  gunners  and  machinists ;  we  put 
the  cart  before  the  horse,  and  we  failed.  These 
hypercritical  talkers  who  decry  reform  on  ac- 
count of  this  failure  are  not  acquainted  with 
the  circumstances  of  the  case.  They  expected 
chickens  before  the  eggs  were  hatched :  they  saw 
a  charge  of  birdshot  and  forthwith  anticipated 
broiled  owl.  Graduates  were  looked  for  before 
the  schools  were  opened,  and  ideal  fortunes  were 
made  before  we  opened  the  mines.  The  times 
were  out  of  joint.  What  one  party  buried,  the 
other  resurrected.  Matters  requiring  the  great- 
est care,  caution,  and  tact  were  rushed  through 
with  the  utmost  precipitation,  whilst  questions 
of  no  importance  were  considered  at  length.  Is 
it  to  be  wondered,  then,  that  nothing  was  accom- 
plished? 


CHAPTER  VIII 


RAILWAYS 


Is  there  any  one  power  that  will  open  the  door 
of  learning  for  the  scholar,  the  farmer,  the  work- 
man, the  merchant,  and  the  soldier?  To  this 
question  we  reply  emphatically,  there  is,  and  it 
is  the  Railway.  The  potentialities  of  the  scholar 
lie  in  extensive  observation ;  of  the  farmer,  in 
finding  a  ready  sale  for  farm  products;  of  the 
workman,  in  the  increase  of  machinery;  of  the 
merchant,  in  cheap  and  rapid  transit ;  and  of  the 
soldier,  in  the  quick  despatch  of  the  munitions 
of  war.  The  rulers  of  our  old  Dynasties  consid- 
ered the  building  of  good  roads  of  first  impor- 
tance in  the  conduct  of  the  government.  The 
Railway  is  the  source  of  the  wealth  and  power 
of  Western  countries.  The  laws  of  China  make 
no  provision  for  the  building  of  thoroughfares. 
Consequently  the  hill  roads  are  rough  and  uneven 
and  the  village  roads  are  muddy  and  lead  no- 
where, whilst  the  streets  of  the  city  are  dirty  and 
neglected.  We  need  not  wonder  that  people  are 
i-'5 


126  China's  Only  Hope 

afraid  of  going  out  and  that  merchandize  can- 
not be  freely  transported  to  inland  cities.  Let 
us  build  Railways  and  then  the  scholar  can  have 
easy  communication  with  distant  friends,  the 
farmer  can  utilize  much  that  is  now  waste,  the 
merchant  can  readily  meet  the  demand  for  sup- 
ply, forwarding  the  heaviest  material,  the  work- 
man will  soon  find  machinery  everywhere,  the 
abundant  products  of  the  mines  will  be  benefi- 
cially distributed,  and  our  China  coast  will  be 
securely  protected  and  guarded  by  myriads  of 
efficient  troops.  Then  will  there  be  economy  of 
time  and  money;  the  officials  cannot  become  idle 
nor  the  people  oppressed.  The  whistle  of  the 
train  will  wake  the  echoes  and  dispel  the  doubts 
of  the  Conservatives.  Rapid  communications 
with  headquarters  will  be  made  and  much  labor 
and  expense  saved  in  preparation  for  the  recep- 
tion of  officials.  The  whole  country  will  become 
really  ours,  and  China  will  be  one  great  united 
family,  with  no  fear  of  famine  or  war. 

If  the  circulation  is  good,  it  naturally  follows 
that  the  body  will  be  in  health ;  if  the  ears  and 
eyes  are  open,  reliable  information  can  enter ;  and 
if  the  heart  and  brain  are  exercised,  proficiency 
will  result. 

The  ears  and  eyes  are  the  foreign  periodicals, 


Railways  127 

the  heart  and  the  brain  are  our  colleges,  and  the 
circulation  is  the  Railway.  Let  us  have  it,  and 
where  it  cannot  touch,  let  us  build  good  horse 
roads  and  tramways.  The  enrichment  of  the 
government  and  people  will  be  but  a  secondary 
matter  when  we  consider  the  splendid  results  that 
will  follow  in  other  directions.  We  have  been 
looking  into  the  Railway  affairs  of  the  world  for 
thirty  years.  Associations  exist  in  all  countries 
for  the  promotion  of  Railway  interests.  Every 
country  considers  Railways  most  urgently  im- 
portant. They  have  been  introduced  all  over  the 
globe,  and  even  now  are  daily  spreading.  They 
interlace  the  earth  like  spider-webs  stretching 
over  the  land  for  millions  of  miles.  If  China 
does  not  introduce  them  we  will  remain  isolated 
from  the  rest  of  the  world.  While  others  are 
travelling  with  facility  to  the  sea-coast,  we  will 
be  sitting,  bound  and  paralyzed,  in  the  house ! 
How  can  the  people  of  our  Flowery  Inner  Land 
progress  or  even  exist  without  Railways? 


CHAPTER    IX 

COMPARATIVE    STUDY 

The  Book  of  Changes  employs  the  word  t'ung 
a  great  many  times.  Its  meaning  may  be  defined 
as  the  true  delight  in  profound  study  with  the 
mind  ever  alert  to  fathom  the  depths  of  learning. 
'Its  opposite  is  the  untenable  possession  of  a  shal- 
'low  and  limited  observation,  with  a  meagre  ac- 
quaintance with  fact. 

To-day  the  New  Learning  has  come  into  con- 
tact with  the  Old.  Should  the  principles  of  these 
not  mutually  t'ung,  the  Old  Learning  will  con- 
temn the  New  whilst  compelled,  perforce,  to 
make  use  of  it ;  and  the  New  will  hold  the  other 
in  contempt,  being  at  the  same  time  under  the 
necessity  of  enduring  it ;  for  the  Old  cannot  be 
altogether  abrogated  at  once.  But  the  two  can 
never    be    completely    harmonized.     A    proverb 

says, 

"  Suspicion  defeats  great  ends." 

The  principle  of  Western  Natural  Science  is 
stated  in  the  "  Doctrine  of  the  Middle  "  as  fol- 
lows :    "  It  is  only  he  who  is  possessed  of  the 
128 


Comparative  Study  129 

most  complete  sincerity  that  can  exist  under 
heaven,  who  can  give  its  full  development  to  his 
nature.  Able  to  give  its  full  development  to  his 
own  nature,  he  can  do  the  same  to  the  natures  of 
other  men.  Able  to  give  its  full  development  to 
the  natures  of  other  men,  he  can  give  their  full  de- 
velopment to  the  natures  of  creatures  and  things. 
Able  to  give  their  full  development  to  the  natures 
of  creatures  and  things,  he  can  assist  the  trans- 
forming and  nourishing  powers  of  Heaven  and 
Earth.  Able  to  assist  the  transforming  and 
nourishing  powers  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  he  may 
with  Heaven  and  Earth  form  a  ternion/'* 

The  principle  of  what  is  now  known  as  scien- 
tific agriculture  lies  in  the  Chow  Ceremonial 
[3,000  years  ago]  which  discusses  the  methods  of 
transforming  soil,  silk  and  cotton  selection,  the 
utilization  of  waste,  etc. 

The  Ceremonial  says :  "  A  man  is  to  be  de- 
spised who  deliberately  throws  aside  precious 
materials  ;  "  and  the  "  Doctrine  of  the  Middle  "  : 
"  Bring  out  the  valuable  things  from  the  mighty 
mountains."  These  sayings  embody  the  princi- 
ples of  mining. 

*  The  Science  of  the  "  Great  Learning "  does  not 
concern  itself  with  that  of  the  West  in  the  least.  Trans- 
lators of  Western  books  merely  borrow  the  term  from 
this  Classic  without  understanding  its  true  import, 


130  China's  Only  Hope 

The  ideas  of  Forestry,  prevailing  in  Europe, 
inhere  in  the  Chow  Ceremonial  which  mentions 
the  existence  of  officers  who  were  specially  ap- 
pointed to  look  after  the  mountains  and  woods. 

The  "  Doctrine  of  the  Middle  "  says  r  "  En- 
courage all  classes  of  artisans  by  a  system  of 
awards  for  superior  work,  in  order  to  enrich  the 
nation."  In  this  saying  lies  the  principle  of  In- 
dustrial Arts  and  the  Exchange  of  native  prod- 
uce, and  not  in  the  encouragement  to  merchants. 
The  Lun  Yii  says :  "  A  good  workman  sharpens 
his  tools  ;  "  and  the  "  Biblic  " :  "  In  doing  good 
work,  new  instruments  are  necessary,  not  old." 
In  these  we  have  the  principle  of  the  employment 
of  newest  patterns  of  machinery  now  followed  by 
foreigners. 

The  Analects  again  say :  "  The  artisans  labor 
in  the  public  workshops."  And  why  not  work 
in  their  own  native  village?  Because,  as  Kuan 
Tsz  says,  they  must  be  supervised  by  officials. 
This  is  the  principle  of  experimental  Manufac- 
tories. The  Chow  Ceremonial  speaks  of  the 
Hsuin  Fang  Sze  who  instructed  the  people  as  to 
new  implements  of  labor.  Here  we  have  the  be- 
ginning of  National  Exhibits  and  Expositions. 
The  "  Great  Learning  "  says :  "  Let  the  produc- 
ers be  many,  the  consumers,  few."     Here  is  the 


Comparative  Study  131 

germ  of  Political  Economy.  Again :  "  There  is 
a  highway  for  the  production  of  wealth,  let  there 
be  activity  in  the  production."  The  Analects: 
"There  is  merit  in  despatch."  We  therefore 
know  that  the  business  of  the  workman  and  mer- 
chant, the  government  of  the  officials,  the  opera- 
tions of  the  soldier,  ought  to  be  carried  on  with 
swiftness  and  despatch  and  not  with  negligence 
and  delay.  Work  demands  machinery,  transpor- 
tation, the  railway.  The  principle  of  the  ma- 
chine and  the  railway  lies  in  this  saying  quoted 
above.  The  idea  of  the  Mercantile,  free  export, 
sliding  scale,  etc.,  in  the  West  lies  in  what  the 
Chow  Ceremonial  says:  "The  superintendents 
of  markets  regulate  the  supply  and  eliminate 
what  is  hurtful,  etc." 

The  Analects  say:  "After  seven  years  of  in- 
struction the  people  will  be  prepared  for  war. 
Not  to  instruct  them  thus  is  like  casting  them 
away."  Here  we  have  the  principle  of  military 
schools.  Sze  Ma's  method  was  to  employ  no 
troops,  however  young  and  strong,  without  pre- 
vious instruction.  And  if  soldiers  were  wound- 
ed in  battle  they  received  careful  attention.  This 
principle  agrees  with  that  of  the  Red  Cross  So- 
ciety. 

A  book  of  the  Han  Dynasty  says :  "  The  nine 


132  China's  Only  Hope 

universal  arts  proceed  from  an  official  who  di- 
rects and  controls  them."  Here  we  have  the 
principle  of  employing  men  who  are  specially 
qualified.  The  Tso  Ch'uan  relates  that  Confu- 
,'  cius  received  instruction  from  Tau  Tsz  [a  bar- 
barian]. Thus  we  have  the  warrant  for  sending 
Chinese  abroad  to  be  educated.  The  Ceremonial 
says :  "  A  youth  of  thirteen  should  practise  danc- 
ing and  gymnastics,  and  at  sixteen  learn  archery 
and  riding."  Also,  "  He  was  brave  and  strong, 
therefore  he  entered  the  marriage  relation." 
These  embody  the  principles  of  calisthenics.  The 
"  Classic  of  Study  "  says :  "  If  one  has  no  taste 
for  a  pursuit,  he  will  take  no  pleasure  in  learn- 
ing." Here  we  have  the  principles  of  Western 
schools  and  kindergartens.  The  "  Biblic  "  says : 
"  In  arriving  at  a  verdict,  even  in  small  cases, 
take  the  consensus  communis  of  the  people."  An- 
other old  book  has  it :  "  Take  public  opinion  in 
doubtful  cases."  This  is  the  principle  underly- 
ing the  foreign  jury  system.  The  Chow  Cere- 
monial says :  "  The  Sovereign  should  hear  the 
popular  voice  in  matters  outside  the  court,"  and 
the  Biblic :  "  The  Sovereign  should  consult  with 
both  officials  and  common  people;  following  this 
course,  prosperity  will  ensue;  disregarding  it, 
calamity  will  befall,"     This  is  the  principle  of 


Comparative  Study  133 


A 


i«         * 


v 


mutual  support  in  the  Lords  and  Commons.     An  VV 

ancient  record  says :  "  Cases  should  be  examined 
whether  the  multitude  approve  or  not."  This 
embodies  the  principle  of  proroguing  Parliament.  , 
The  Ceremonial  says :  "  The  duty  of  the  Censors  J  \< 
is  to  apprise  the  Sovereign  of  the  popular  cus- 
toms, as  evidenced  by  their  ballads,  and  dis- 
cover what  the  people  relish,  as  evidenced  in 
the  market  prices."  The  Tso  Ch'uan:  "The 
scholars  inform  the  officials,  the  common  people 
placard  their  complaints,  the  merchants  discuss 
on  the  streets,  the  artisans  present  specimens  of 
their  work  to  their  superiors."  Here  lies  the 
germ  of  the  newspaper. 

We  therefore  discover  that  all  the  mysterious 
principles  of  our  Holy  Canons  lie  embedded  in 
Western  methods,  and  need  not  discuss  the  simi- 
larity of  well-known  objects,  documents,  and 
hieroglyphics.  The  truth  is,  that  foreign  princi- 
ples, laws,  etc.,  have  their  origin  in  our  Classics, 
but  it  is  not  true  to  say  that  these  Classics  contain 
a  complete  knowledge  of  ^Western  methods,  and 
Western  skill. 


Confucius  said :  "  I  have  heard  that  the  Sov- 
ereign has  dismissed  his  officers,  and  therefore 
literature  has  departed  to  the  barbarians  on  the 
four  sides.  I  believe  this."  This  saying  was  in 
existence  long  before  the  time  of  Confucius. 


134  China's  Only  Hope 

The  Lieh  Tsz  [a  historical  Thesaurus]  says: 
"  The  Magician  took  King  Muh  on  a  long  jour- 
ney to  foreign  countries."  Western  countries 
have  gradually  come  into  relations  with  China. 
Chieu  Yen  said :  "  The  country  is  only  one  dis- 
trict on  the  Eastern  Sea,"  meaning  that  there 
were  other  countries.  He  heard  about  these 
from  merchant  vessels.  Old  Egyptian  hiero- 
glyphics are  of  the  same  kind  as  Chinese  "  Greater 
Seal  "  Characters  [said  to  have  been  invented  800 
B.C.].  The  old  tablets  found  in  South  America 
/  were  cut  by  Chinese. 

From  these  facts  it  is  evident  that  Chinese 
learning,  arts,  government,  and  religion  gradu- 
ally  spread  over  the  earth,  beginning  in  the  San 
Tai  [1900  B.C.],  then  in  the  Chow  Dynasty,  and 
afterwards  when  Lao  Tsz  went  to  the  West.  In 
the  Western  Han  Dynasty,  Kan  Yin  travelled 
through  the  Western  Sea.  In  the  Eastern  Han, 
T'sai  An  and  Tsing  King  were  sent  by  the  Em- 
peror to  India.  Mo  T'eng  and  others  came  to  the 
East,  and  Fah  Hsien  went  with  his  party  to  the 
West.  The  country  of  Ta  Ts'in  possessed  the 
*Ang  bamboo  staff,  and  the  Ssz  country,  the 
white-knobbed  fan.  The  Chinese  and  Western 
priests  and  the  merchants  by  sea  and  land  kept 
up  an  extensive  intercourse,  and  the  Chinese  doc- 


Comparative  Study  135 

trines  permeated  the  West,  first  transforming 
the  country  of  Buddha,  then  overspreading  the 
European  continent  in  sure  succession. 

Western  people,  however,  improved  the  litera- 
ture, arts,  and  government  of  the  Chinese  until  s 
they  became  unlike  their  original  form.  This  is 
not  surprising,  for  by  diligence  men  will  surpass  -- 
their  inactive  competitors  even  though  these  may 
have  had  the  start.  There  are  some  purely  for- 
eign methods,  again,  which  are  superior  to  those 
of  our  ancients.  Chinese  skill  in  arts,  mathe- 
matics, astronomy,  arranging  the  calendar,  crock- 
ery, silk  weaving,  etc.,  is  better  than  in  the  ancient 
times.* 

If  it  is  said  that  what  the  sages  originated  is 
excellent,  we  agree  ;  but  if  it  is  said  that  the  work- 
manship of  to-day  does  not  surpass  that  of  the 
T'ang,  Yu,  and  San  Tai,  we  demur.  The  wis- 
dom of  the  world  was  not  confined  to  the  sages 
who  could  not  foreknow  what  would  come  to' 
pass.  Western  government  and  literature,  there- 
fore, will  be  beneficial  to  China  and  will  not 
supersede  the  Holy  Religion.  Although  they 
have  no  connection  with  the  hoary  past,  if  we 
study  them  no  harm  can  befall  us,  for  their  prin- 

*  Eclipses  were  first  reckoned  in  the  Ts'in  Dynasty, 
a.d.  300. 


136  China's  Only  Hope 

ciples  agree  with  what  the  old  Classics  teach,  as 
we  have  shown. 

There  is  a  class  of  Chinese  who  despise  foreign 
methods,  and  without  examining  their  excel- 
lences, contemptuously  fling  them  aside  with  the 
remark  that  they  are  not  specially  mentioned  in 
the  Six  Classics  and  the  Histories  of  China. 
But  what  old  method  will  suit  the  present  day 
emergency?  We  challenge  all  these  cavillers  to 
produce  an  Ever  Victorious  Army*  from  the 
ancient  drill,  or  protect  our  coast  with  old  Chi- 
nese gunboats  instead  of  with  armored  cruisers. 
By  not  adopting  foreign  methods  we  block  our 
own  way ;  that  is,  we  render  ourselves  proud  and 
bigoted  obstructionists,  who  sooner  or  later  will 
perish  through  our  own  stupidity. 

There  is  a  second  class  who  partly  understand 

foreign  methods  and  attempt  to  reconcile  every 

discrepancy  by  saying  that  our  Classics  already 

contain  all  Western  learning.     Who  boast,   for 

instance,  that  algebra  is  an  original  product  of 

China    [called  Tsie   Ken  Fang]    and  hence  are 

unwilling  to  study  mathematics.     They  also  brag 

that  modern  firearms  are  handed  down  from  the 

Yuen  Dynasty  [a.d.  1200]  and  that  their  models 

*  The  name  of  General  Gordon's  army,  which  de- 
feated the  Taiping  Rebels  about  forty  years  ago. — 
Translator. 


Comparative  Study  137 

were  copied  by  foreign  countries  when  they  were 
forcibly  pacified  by  the  Chinese;  and  will  not,  in 
consequence,  examine  the  merits  of  foreign  arse- 
nals, etc.  This  drivel  is  pure  self-deception. 
What  do  we  mean  by  self-deception?  That 
which  causes  men  to  be  overcome  without  even 
seeking  the  truth. 

Still  another  class  is  drowned  in  Western 
methods.  They  combine  Chinese  and  "  West- 
ern "  into  one,  and  say  there  is  no  appreciable 
distinction  between  the  two.  They  state  that  the 
"  Spring  and  Autumn  Classic  "  of  Confucius  is 
International  Law,  and  that  the  Confucian  Re- 
ligion agrees  with  the  Religion  of  Jesus.  This 
is  being  self-bound.  What  is  being  self-bound? 
Becoming  deceived,  deranged,  and  losing  what 
has  already  been  attained.* 

These  three  classes  .are  all  deceived  because 
they  do  not  comprehend  the  meaning  of  t'ung.  ^ 
The  evil  of  non-intercourse  expresses  itself  in 
ignorant,  blustering  talk  without  deeds. 

To  sum  up :  Chinese  learning  is  moral.  West- 
ern learning  is  practical.     Chinese  learning  con- 

*  We  heartily  concur  with  this  statement,  but  for 
reasons  antipodally  different  from  those  of  the  Viceroy. 
There  can  be  no  compromise  of  Christianity  with  Con- 
fucianism without  disastrous  results,  because  Ancestral 
Worship,  which  is  Idolatry,  lies  at  the  root  of  the  sys- 
tem.— Translator. 


v'S      138  China's  Only  Hope 

tor     /\  )  cerns  itself  with  moral  conduct.     Western  learn- 


*       -  I  ing,  with  the  affairs  of  the  world.    What  matters 

*V/  it,  then,  whether  Western  learning  is  mentioned 

v'     i  in  the  Classics  or  not,  if  it  teaches  nothing  repug- 

nant, or  antagonistic,  to  the  genius  of  our  books? 
If  the  Chinese  heart  throbs  in  unison  with  the 
heart  of  the  sages,  expressing  the  truth  in  irre- 
provable  conduct,  in  filial  piety,  brotherly  love, 
honesty,  integrity,  virtue;  if  government  is  loy- 
alty and  protection,  then  let  government  make 
J  use  of  foreign  machinery  and  the  railway  from 
morning  to  night,  and  nothing  untoward  will 
,y  befall  the  disciples  of  Confucius. 

But  if  the  ruling  classes  conclude  to  remain 
befuddled,  indolent,  aimless,  braggart,  useless, 
ignorant,  and  not  t'ung;  if  they  elect  to  continue 
hopelessly  proud,  overbearing,  sitting  compla- 
cently in  their  places  whilst  the  country  is  going 
to  pieces  and  the  Holy  Religion  is  being  eradi- 
cated ;  although  they  may  adorn  themselves  in  all 
the  regalia  of  Confucius  and  quote  long  and  ele- 
gantly from  the  Classics;  although  they  may 
compose  extended  essays  on  ancient  subjects  and 
talk  learnedly  about  Moral  Philosophy,  the  whole 
world  will  forever  reproach  and  revile  them,  say- 
ing, "  Behold  the  scapegraces  of  Mencius  and 
Confucius ! " 


CHAPTER   X 

MAINTAINING    THE    ARMY 

Troops  are  to  the  country  what  breath  is  to 
the  body.  The  liver  secretes  blood  and  assists 
the  circulation,  and  for  this  reason  the  Nui 
King*  says  that  this  important  organ  controls  all 
the  functions  of  the  body.  Never  has  there  been 
a  man  who  could  survive  without  a  liver,  and  never 
has  there  been  a  country  that  could  exist  without 
an  army ;  and  yet  there  are  many  influential  Chi- 
nese to-day  who  think  that  China  should  connect 
herself  with  the  Western  Disarmament  Society, 
arguing  that  the  affairs  of  China  are  in  a  desper- 
ate condition,  and  that  such  a  move  would  guar- 
antee a  lasting  peace  to  the  Orient. 

Our  contention  is,  that  a  procedure  of  this 

kind,  instead  of  promoting  peace,  would  serve  as 

an  occasion  of  further  insult  to  China  by  other 

Powers.     Hsiang   Su    (400  B.C.)    established  a 

society  of  this  kind,  and  was  rebuked  by  Tze  Han, 

who  perceived  his  ulterior  design  of  deceiving 

*A  medical  Treatise. — Translator. 
139 


140  China's  Only  Hope 

the  Kings.  How  much  more  important  is  it  now 
to  be  on  our  guard  when  all  the  powerful  coun- 
tries of  the  world  are  talking  of  disarmament! 
Are  they  fooled  or  blinded  ? 

Austria  first  instituted  the  Disarmament  So- 
ciety. Immediately  afterwards  the  war  between 
Russia  and  Turkey  broke  out.  Then  Germany 
attacked  Africa,  England  attacked  Egypt  and 
Tibet,  France  conquered  Madagascar,  and  Spain, 
Cuba.  Turkey  has  just  fought  with  Greece,  and 
if  there  is  any  member  of  this  Society  who  has 
played  the  peacemaker  we  have  not  heard  of  him. 
Germany,  consequently,  has  seized  upon  our 
Kiaochou,  and  Russia  has  appropriated  our  Port 
Arthur.  Since  the  Disarmament  Society  was 
formed,  the  great  countries  have  been  energeti- 
cally purchasing  men-of-war  and  using  every 
means  to  obtain  a  power  balance.*  If  we  main- 
tain an  army,  the  weak  countries  will  fear  us  and 
■the  strong  will  respect  us.  If  we  ally  ourselves 
with  Europe,  then  Europe  will  win ;  if  with  Asia, 
Asia  will  win.  By  all  means  get  the  army  first 
and  then  consider  the  question  of  disarmament; 
for  if  we  talk  of  disarmament  to  the  other  coun- 

*  Since  the  Viceroy  penned  these  lines  the  Peace 
Conference  of  the  Hague  has  met,  the  South  African 
War  has  been  waged,  and  China  has  fought  against 
the  world. — Translator. 


Maintaining  the  Army  141 

tries,  without  the  force  to  back  up  our  words,  we 
will  become  the  laughing-stock  of  the  world.  It 
would  be  like  reciting  the  Filial  Classic  to  a  band 
of  armed  rebels,  or  hoisting  a  flag  of  truce  to  stop 
a  street  fight. 

Drilling  troops  is  better  than  disbanding  them.  ., 
With  fifty  war-ships  on  the  sea  and  thirty  myriads 
of  troops  on  land;  with  daily  additions  to  both 
ships  and  troops;  with  the  daily  strengthening 
of  our  forts  and  equipping  them  with  the  best 
engines  of  modern  warfare,  and  with  the  rail- 
ways intersecting  the  land,  what  country  would 
dare  begin  hostilities  against  China,  or  in  any 
way  infringe  upon  her  treaty  rights?  We  would'  «j 
be  in  a  position  to  redress  our  wrongs  without 
the  fear  of  staking  all  upon  minor  issues.  Under 
these  conditions,  Japan  will  side  with  China,  ^ 
Europe  will  retire,  and  the  Far  East  will  be  at 
rest.  Kuan  Tze  says,  "  When  the  talk  of  dis- 
banding troops  prevails,  the  strategic  points  will 
not  be  guarded,  and  when  the  talk  of  protection 
becomes  over-confident,  truth  and  modesty  will 
not  be  established."  If  the  principle  of  disband- 
ing the  troops  be  carried  out  in  China  the  Em- 
peror and  the  people,  high  and  low,  will  simply 
sit  with  folded  hands  awaiting  the  action  of  the 
Peace  Society.     The  affairs  of  State  will  be  neg- 


/ 


142  China's  Only  Hope 

lected,  and  no  more  will  the  troops  "  make  pil- 
lows of  their  spears  awaiting  the  movements  of 
the  enemy."  Each  province  will  maintain  a  mere 
undrilled  corporal's  guard  to  keep  the  peace. 
The  weapons  of  war  will  rust,  batteries  and 
camps  will  be  deserted.  Civil  mandarins  will 
become  drunkards,  and  the  military  will  swag- 
ger. Officials  will  covet  the  people's  wealth  and 
squeeze  their  substance.  Faithful  advisers  will 
come  nevermore,  for  competent,  clean-handed 
men  will  not  be  in  demand.  The  mouths  of  the 
Censors  will  be  stopped,  and  the  faculties  of  the 
mind  will  deteriorate.  Other  countries  behold- 
ing our  forlorn  and  desperate  condition  will  step 
in  and  divide  China.  Thus  we  will  speedily 
perish. 

If  a  man  travels  among  mountains  infested 
with  tigers,  will  not  his  hope  of  escape  from  de- 
struction be  vain  if  he  goes  unarmed  ? 

There  are  many  who  place  the  most  implicit 
/confidence  in  International  Law,  but  these  are 
as  stupid  as  the  individuals  who  depend  on  the 
Disarmament  Society  for  peace.  If  countries 
are  equally  matched,  then  International  Law  is  ' 
enforced ;  otherwise,  the  law  is  inoperative.  For 
what  has_  International  Law  to  do  with  fighting 
issues  when  one  country  is  strong  and  another 
weak?    There  is  a  saying  of  the  Chou  dynasty 


Maintaining  the  Army  143 

which  runs  as  follows :  "  If  countries  are  equal 
in  courage,  strategy  will  conquer."  We  have 
never  heard  of  International  Law  controlling  the^" 
issues  of  war  between  unequal  States.  To-day 
the  countries  of  the  world  are  in  close  and  mutual 
intercourse;  but  the  relations  of  the  smaller 
States  to  the  greater  are  entirely  different  from 
those  which  exist  between  the  States  of  equal 
power.  China  is  not  on  an  equal  footing  with 
the  West.  This  is  perceived  in  the  fact  that  the 
duty  on  imports  is  fixed  by  Western  Govern- 
ments. Not  so  in  China.  Merchants  engaged 
in  business  abroad  are  subject  to  the  laws  of  the 
country  in  which  they  reside.  Not  so  in  China. 
Foreign  commerce  is  confined  to  seaports  in  the 
West.  Not  so  in  China.  The  murder  of  a  for- 
eigner by  a  Chinese  is  a  very  serious  matter,  but 
the  killing  of  a  "  Chinaman  "  by  a  foreigner  is  a 
trivial  thing.  Foreign  countries  have  no  Mixed 
Courts* — in  fact,  China  is  really  not  in  the  com- 
ity  of  nations,  and  it  is  useless  to  prate  about  | 
International  Law.  Disarmament  is  an  inter- 
national joke,  and  International  Law  a  deception. 
There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  seek  help  in  our- 
selves. 

*  Courts  in  which  a  Chinese  official  and  a  foreign 
assessor  are  joint  judges.  The  Mixed  Court  and  ex- 
territoriality are  two  of  the  greatest  eyesores  to  the 
Chinese, — Translator, 


CHAPTER   XI 

RELIGIOUS    TOLERATION 

Alien  doctrines  have  caused  dissension  both 
in  Asia  and  Europe.  In  the  latter  country  the 
strife  has  been  waged  for  mastery  by  the  ambi- 
tion of  men.  In  China  the  fight  for  Confucian- 
ism against  Taoism  and  Buddhism  has  been  for 
principle.  We  now  know  what  is  right,  that 
Confucianism  is  the  pure  and  holy  truth  of 
Heaven  and  the  sum  and  summit  of  the  Five  Re- 
lations. Not  even  the  most  distant  countries  can 
dispute  this  fact ;  and  yet  there  are  some  who  fear 
that  our  religion  will  decay,  and  are  casting  about 
for  means  to  conserve  it.  Our  own  opinion  is, 
that  in  order  to  advance  Confucianism  we  must 
'reform  the  government  and  not  everlastingly 
combat  other  religions.  The  times  are  changed 
now — the  present  is  not  the  past.  Since  the 
treaties  were  made,  the  Western  Religion  has 
spread  over  China.  Our  laws  permit  it,  and  the 
burning  of  chapels  by  Chinese  is  forbidden  by 
our  Emperor.  In  consequence  of  the  murder  of 
144 


Religious  Toleration  145 

missionaries  in  Shantung,  Germany  has  annexed 
Kiaochow.  Other  countries  are  watching  for 
opportunities  to  imitate  the  example  in  other 
parts  of  the  Empire.  Our  condition  is  one  of 
danger. 

The  higher  class  of  Chinese  should  carefully 
consider  the  situation  and  should  tolerate  the 
Western  Religion  as  they  tolerate  Buddhism  and 
Taoism.  Why  should  it  injure  us?  And  be- 
cause Confucianism,  as  now  practised,  is  made-"", 
quate  to  lift  us  from  the  present  plight,  why  ] 
retaliate  by  scoffing  at  other  religions  ?  Not  only 
is  such  a  procedure  useless ;  it  is  dangerous.  For 
the  people  imitate  their  rulers,  and  the  scoundrels 
and  ruffians  of  China  take  occasion  to  create  dis- 
turbances against  foreigners,  and  without  provo- 
cation injure  them,  and  thus  grieve  the  heart  of 
our  Emperor.  The  foreigners  themselves  are 
aroused  against  us,  and  calamity  falls  like  gloom 
upon  the  country.  How  can  such  men  be  called 
patriotic?  The  Chinese  at  the  ports  have  found 
out  what  kind  of  people  foreigners  are.  In  the 
interior  it  is  different.  The  Westerner  dressed 
in  his  native  garb  goes  through  a  place  and  is 
immediately  followed  by  a  crowd  of  ignorant 
men  and  children,  who  soon  begin  to  call  names 
and  throw  stones.     A  mob  quickly  collects,  and 


146  China's  Only  Hope 

who  can  tell  what  the  consequences  will  be? 
The  rabble  do  not  consider  whether  the  man  is  a 
missionary  or  not,  or  whether  he  is  European  or 
American.  Without  any  reason  whatever,  the 
innocent  man  is  often  beaten  by  the  Chinese,  who 
cannot  tell  whether  he  is  a  custom-house  officer, 
an  assistant  of  some  mandarin,  a  traveller,  or  a 
clergyman.     All  are  hustled  alike. 

This  is  pure  disobedience  to  the  Chinese  Em- 
peror's commands.  It  is  shameful  for  a  couple  of 
hundred  Chinese  to  set  upon  one  or  two  defence- 
less foreigners  and  attack  them  for  naught.  It 
is  cowardly,  too,  and  these  crowds  who  are  so 
brave  on  occasions  like  these  would  soon  turn 
tail  and  flee  if  pitted  against  an  enemy  in  war. 

So  foreigners  say  the  Chinese  have  no  man- 
ners. Our  own  opinion  is,  that  the  Chinese  who 
create  disturbances  are  lunatics.  Again,  we  con- 
stantly hear  awful  rumors  of  missionaries  tak- 
ing out  the  eyes  of  the  Chinese  to  prepare  strong 
decoctions  of  medicine  which  are  said  to  convert 
lead  into  silver.  These  stupid  beliefs  have  been 
handed  down  for  generations,  and  they  are  utter- 
ly false.  Eight  years  ago  a  report  was  circulated 
in  Ichang*  that  the  eyes  of  seventy  children  in 
a  certain  school  had  been  gouged  out  by  mission- 

*  A  treaty  port  on  the  Yangtse  above  Hankow.-^r 
Translator, 


Religious  Toleration  147 

aries.  All  the  Chinese  thoroughly  believed  it, 
and  the  authorities  were  compelled  to  make  an 
investigation.  And  what  was  the  result?  All 
the  children  in  that  institution  were  discovered 
to  be  perfectly  sound — eyes  and  all — except  one. 
The  parents  of  this  little  one  said  that  it  had  been 
afflicted  with  smallpox,  and  its  eyes  had  been  in- 
jured by  the  disease.     The  eyeballs  were  intact ! 

In  1896  a  rascally  Chinese  teacher  buried  the 
body  of  a  child  in  the  premises  of  the  mission- 
aries in  Kiangyin*  to  further  some  ulterior  de- 
sign against  the  foreigners.  An  official  investi- 
gation was  instituted,  the  whole  truth  discovered, 
and  the  culprit  punished.  These  are  recent 
events,  and  show  that  no  belief  whatever  can  be 
put  in  rumors  about  foreigners.  The  Christian 
Religion  has  been  established  for  more  than  a 
thousand  years  and  propagated  in  many  coun- 
tries !  The  new  and  the  old  have  been  in  conflict 
for  centuries,  and  no  one  outside  of  China  has 
ever  dreamed  of  setting  such  rumors  afloat.  If 
there  had  been  such  awful  practices,  foreign 
countries  would  have  been  destroyed  long  ago, 
and  no  European  could  boast  of  a  whole  skin. 
Some  simpleton  may  say  that  such  operations  are 

*A  city  on  the  Yangtse,  sixty  miles  below  Chin- 
kiang. — Translator. 


148  China's  Only  Hope 

performed  only  upon  the  Chinese.  But  we  know 
that  foreign  countries  always  manufactured  an 
abundant  supply  of  medicines  before  they  had 
contact  with  China.  Chapels  exist  in  nearly  all 
the  provinces  of  China,  and,  pray,  how  could  for- 
eign missionaries  murder  the  Chinese  in  such 
numbers  as  would  enable  them  to  procure  enough 
eyes  without  it  being  universally  known?  An 
old  saw  runs : 

"  A  marble  will  move  about  on  a  smooth  sur- 
face, but  will  stop  at  a  hole ; 

"  A  lying  rumor  will  flourish  among  the  ig- 
norant, but  will  stop  at  common  sense." 

Ye  long-robed  and  begirdled  Confucianists,  it 
is  your  office  and  duty  to  instruct  the  ignorant 
people  and  not  be  fools  yourselves,  lest  the  men 
from  beyond  the  seas  sneer  at  you  behind  your 
backs ! 


APPENDIX 


THE  POSITION  OF  CHANG  CHIH-TUNG. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  North  China  Daily  News: 

Sir:  In  your  issue  of  the  25th  instant,  there  is  a 
startling  paragraph,  giving  what  you  call  "  Bad  News 
from  the  River."  You  say:  "We  are  informed  that 
H.  E.  Chang  Chih-tung  states  that  he  doubts  if  he 
can  restrain  his  troops  another  ten  days."  That  is  an 
alarming  piece  of  news,  and  I  have  been  trying  to  find 
out  whether  there  is  any  foundation  in  fact  for  it.  You 
will,  I  am  sure,  be  glad  to  know  that  I  am  sincerely 
convinced  that  there  is  not  a  particle  of  truth  in  the 
reports.  I  don't  believe  that  the  Viceroy  has  said  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  He  has  given  a  point-blank  denial 
to  the  statement,  and  the  thing  in  itself  is  highly  im- 
probable. 

The  air  in  Central  China  is  full  of  all  sorts  of  wild 
rumors  at  present.  Timid  natives  come  to  us  every 
day,  and  many  times  in  the  day,  with  the  strangest 
stories  of  what  is  going  to  be  done,  and  what  is  going 
to  befall  us.  Some  tell  us  that  Chang  Chih-tung  is 
false,  and  only  waiting  his  opportunity.  Some  tell  us 
that  he  and  the  Governors  are  not  of  one  mind,  and 
that  he  will  have  to  give  in  sooner  or  later,  and  per- 
haps sooner  than  later.  There  are  foreigners  among 
us  who  are  only  too  ready  to  give  credence  to  tales 
that  tend  to  shock  the  nerves,  and  to  pass  them  on 
without  even  thinking  or  inquiring  into  their  truth  or 
falsehood.    To  them  the  more  alarming  the  tale  the 

149 


l  £0  Appendix 

more  credible  it  appears.  One  of  the  worst  services 
anyone  can  render  just  now  is  to  give  publicity  to 
scaring  rumors  without  any  known  authority  for  the 
truth  of  them.  This  paragraph  has  disturbed  the  peace 
of  many  of  our  friends  in  China,  and  has  already 
brought  us  telegrams  and  letters  of  a  very  grave  nat- 
ure. Many  of  our  friends  in  the  home  lands  will  be 
pained  beyond  measure  by  the  news,  and  we  shall  soon 
be  receiving  disturbing  telegrams  and  letters  from 
them.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  greatest  care  should 
be  exercised  in  sifting  the  materials  sent  for  publica- 
tion in  these  days.  The  bare  truth  is  startling  enough 
and  painful  enough  without  adding  thereto  the  wild 
imaginings  of  frightened  men  and  hysterical  women. 

So  far  our  Viceroy  has  proved  himself  able  to  keep 
things  quiet  at  this  centre.  He  meant  to  do  it,  and 
he  has  succeeded  beyond  my  most  sanguine  expecta- 
tions. In  two  or  three  distant  places  there  have  been 
serious  riots;  but  they  have  taken  place  in  direct  op- 
position to  his  most  earnest  desires,  and  he  has  done 
everything  in  his  power  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the 
evil.  But  for  the  Viceroy's  well-known  desire  to  keep 
the  peace,  and  his  strenuous  efforts  to  maintain  order, 
this  centre  would  have  been  in  a  hot  blaze  long  ere 
this.  The  madness  is  here,  and  it  is  the  strong  arm 
of  Chang  Chih-tung  that  has  kept  it  down  until  the 
present  time.  Let  that  arm  be  withdrawn,  and  within 
a  week  Hupeh  will  present  a  scene  of  persecution,  mur- 
der, and  destruction  similar  to  that  which  is  now  wit- 
nessed in  Chihli.  We  all  owe  a  debt  of  deep  gratitude 
to  Chang  Chih-tung  for  the  peace  and  safety  we  have 
'been  enjoying  at  this  centre  during  this  never-to-be- 
forgotten  month. 

I  write  in  this  way  not  because  I  do  not  think  there 
is  danger.  In  a  former  letter  I  said  that,  whilst  I  had 
strong  faith  in  the  good-will  of  the  Viceroy,  I  have 
not  the  same  faith  in  his  subordinates,  and  that  we 
ought  to  take  nothing  for  granted,  but  be  prepared  to, 


Appendix  151 

defend  ourselves  and  our  interests  everywhere  and  al- 
ways. That  is  my  opinion  still.  I  have  no  fear  so 
far  as  the  rowdy  element  by  which  we  are  surrounded 
is  concerned.  The  Viceroy  can  control  that,  and  will 
control  it  unless  something  springs  up  to  destroy  the 
understanding  between  the  Viceroys  and  the  Foreign 
Powers.  In  that  case  it  is  possible  that  Chang  will  not 
be  his  own  master.  A  current  may  set  in  which  will 
sweep  both  Viceroys  along  with  irresistible  force.  Any 
attempt,  or  suspicion  of  an  attempt,  at  partitioning 
China,  would  be  enough.  And  I  can  conceive  of  other 
attempts,  of  not  so  grave  a  nature,  bringing  on  a  crisis 
and  a  catastrophe.  I  feel  sure  that  both  Viceroys,  LiuA 
Kun-yi  and  Chang  Chih-tung,  would  rather  die  a  hun- 
dred deaths  than  see  their  country  cut  up  into  so  many 
fragments.  These  two  men  are  true  patriots,  and  will 
fight  to  the  death,  however  hopeless  the  fight  might 
be,  for  the  unity  of  the  Empire.  Could  we  blame  them 
for  this?  This  is  a  point,  however,  on  which  the  Vice- 
roys need  be  under  no  apprehension,  and  this  being 
the  case,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  we  shall  pass  through 
this  momentous  crisis  without  war  in  this  valley.  May 
God  grant  it.     I  am,  etc., 

Griffith  John. 

Hankow,  July  31,  1900. 


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